Shloka 21

धर्मरहस्योपदेशः

Dharma-rahasya Instruction: Vows, Truth, and Non-injury

Devanagari script

“ये भीमसेन शूरवीर, क्रोधी, अपने शरीर और प्राणों-का मोह न करनेवाले तथा अधिक बलशाली हैं,यस्ते कामो5भिलषिततल्रिरात्‌ प्रभृति हृदूगत:

Transliteration

ye bhīmasena śūravīraḥ, krodhī, svaśarīra-prāṇayoḥ mohaṃ na kurvantaḥ tathādhika-balaśālinaḥ santi, yaste kāmo'bhilaṣitas tadrirāt prabhṛti hṛdgataḥ

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Die Männer, die an Bhīmasenas Seite stehen, sind heldenhafte Krieger—zornig und wild, ohne Anhaftung an den eigenen Leib und das eigene Leben, und von außergewöhnlicher Stärke. Seit jener Nacht hat der Wunsch, nach dem du verlangtest, in deinem Herzen Wurzeln geschlagen.“

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

भीमसेनO Bhimasena

शूरवीराःheroic warriors

क्रोधिनःwrathful

स्वशरीरप्राणमोहंattachment to one’s own body and life-breath

नnot

कुर्वन्तिdo / make

अतिबलवन्तःvery strong

यःwhich / that

तेyour

कामःdesire

अभिलषितःdesired / longed for

तत्that

रिरात्gave / granted

प्रभृतिfrom (that time) onward

हृद्गतःgone into the heart / lodged in the heart

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the warrior ideal of fearlessness and detachment: true martial resolve is marked by readiness to risk body and life for one’s chosen cause, without being clouded by attachment or hesitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīma’s side as filled with fierce, exceptionally strong fighters who do not cling to life. He then remarks that a particular desire or resolve has been fixed in the listener’s heart since a certain night, indicating a decisive inner commitment shaping the coming conflict.