Shloka 20
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 141: Bhīma–Hiḍimba Confrontation and Protective Discourse
प्राणाधिकं भीमसेनं कृतविद्यं धनंजयम् । दुर्योधनो लक्षयित्वा पर्यतप्यत दुर्मना:,भीमसेनको सबसे अधिक बलवान् और अर्जुनको अस्त्र-विद्यामें सबसे श्रेष्ठ देखकर दुर्योधन सदा संतप्त होता रहता था। उसके मनमें बड़ा दुःख था
prāṇādhikaṃ bhīmasenaṃ kṛtavidyaṃ dhanañjayam | duryodhano lakṣayitvā paryatapyata durmanāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Als Duryodhana sah, dass Bhīmasena alle an Lebenskraft und Stärke überragte und Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) vollendet und der Erste in der Waffenlehre war, verfinsterte sich sein Sinn; unablässig wurde er innerlich gequält, verzehrt von Kummer und Neid über ihre Vortrefflichkeit.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how envy and comparison corrode judgment: instead of honoring merit, Duryodhana becomes inwardly scorched by others’ excellence, showing an ethical warning that unchecked jealousy becomes a root-cause of adharma and future violence.
Vaiśampāyana describes Duryodhana’s reaction upon recognizing Bhīma’s extraordinary strength and Arjuna’s mastery of weapons. This recognition does not inspire him; it makes him persistently distressed and ill-minded, foreshadowing his hostility toward the Pāṇḍavas.