Shloka 15

Devanagari script

“तथा तुम्हें पास बिठाकर रत्न एवं ओषधियोंसे युक्त लाल हथेलीवाले हाथसे तुम्हारी पीठको धीरे-धीरे सहलायें ।। शालस्कन्धो महाबाहुस्त्वां स्‍्वजानो वृकोदर: । साम्नाभिवदतां चापि शान्तये भरतर्षभ,'भरतभूषण! शालवृक्षके तनेके समान ऊँचे डील-डौलवाले महाबाहु भीमसेन भी शान्तिके लिये तुम्हें हृदयसे लगाकर तुमसे मीठी-मीठी बातें करें

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | śālaskandho mahābāhus tvāṃ svajano vṛkodaraḥ | sāmnābhivadatāṃ cāpi śāntaye bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „So setze man ihn nahe bei dir, und mit jener geröteten Handfläche, versehen mit Juwelen und Heilkräutern, soll er dir langsam den Rücken streicheln. Und Bhīmasena — hochschultrig wie der Stamm des Śāla-Baumes, mächtig an Armen, dein eigener Verwandter, genannt Vṛkodara — wird ebenfalls um des Friedens willen dich an sein Herz ziehen und mit sanften, versöhnlichen Worten zu dir sprechen, o Stier unter den Bhāratas.“

Word by Word

शालस्कन्धःhaving shoulders like a śāla-tree trunk

महाबाहुःmighty-armed

त्वाम्you

स्वजनःone’s own kinsman

वृकोदरःVṛkodara (Bhīma)

साम्नाwith conciliatory words / with a sāman (soothing speech)

अभिवदताम्let them address / speak to (you)

चand

अपिalso / even

शान्तयेfor peace / for pacification

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīmasena (Vṛkodara)

Śāla tree (as simile)

Bharata lineage (Bharatarṣabha as address)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the strongest warrior is urged to adopt gentleness and conciliatory speech when the goal is śānti (peace). Strength is framed as serving dharma through restraint and reconciliation, not merely through force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes how Bhīma—despite his formidable build and reputation—will speak soothingly to the addressed person as part of efforts to secure peace and avert escalation toward war.