Shloka 8

वसिष्ठ-प्रशंसा

Vasiṣṭha as Purohita: Ascetic Mastery and Royal Counsel

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा भीमबलोद्धूतं बकं॑ विनिहतं तदा | ज्ञातयोअस्य भयोद्विग्ना: प्रतिजग्मुस्ततस्तत:,भीमसेनके बलसे बकासुरको पछाड़ा एवं मारा गया देख उस राक्षसके कुटुम्बीजन भयसे व्याकुल हो इधर-उधर भाग गये

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca |

Dṛṣṭvā bhīmabaloddhūtaṃ bakaṃ vinihataṃ tadā |

Jñātayo 'sya bhayodvignāḥ pratijagmustatas tataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: When they saw Baka—hurled aside by Bhīma’s mighty strength and then slain—the demon’s own kinsmen, shaken with fear, fled in all directions. The episode underscores that brute predation collapses when confronted by righteous strength used to protect the vulnerable.

Word by Word

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

भीमबल-उद्धूतम्thrown/struck away by Bhima's strength

बकम्Baka (the demon)

विनिहतम्slain, killed

तदाthen, at that time

ज्ञातयःkinsmen, relatives

अस्यof him/of this (i.e., of Baka)

भय-उद्विग्नाःagitated by fear, panic-stricken

प्रतिजग्मुःwent away, fled

ततःfrom there, thence

ततःfrom there (repeated: in various directions)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Baka (Bakāsura)

Baka's kinsmen/relatives (jñātayaḥ)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Predatory power that harms society is not invincible; when strength is guided by dharma—used to defend others rather than to exploit—it restores safety and causes wrongdoing to disperse.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīma kills the rākṣasa Baka, Baka’s relatives witness the defeat and, overwhelmed by fear, scatter and flee in different directions.