Shloka 18
द्रौपद्याः भीमसेन-प्रबोधनम्
Draupadī Awakens Bhīmasena
त॑ मत्तमिव मातडूं वीक्षमाणं वनस्पतिम् । स तमावारयामास भीमसेनं युधिषछिर:
taṁ mattam iva mātaṅgaṁ vīkṣamāṇaṁ vanaspatim | sa tam āvārayāmāsa bhīmasenaṁ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
Als Yudhiṣṭhira sah, dass Bhīmasena jenen Baum anstarrte, als wäre er ein rasend brünstiger Elefant, hielt er Bhīmasena zurück. Der Augenblick betont Yudhiṣṭhiras Ethos des maßvollen Handelns: impulsive Kraft durch Urteilskraft und Selbstbeherrschung zu zügeln, selbst in Spannung und Gefahr.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Strength must be governed by dharma and discernment. Yudhiṣṭhira embodies ethical leadership by restraining Bhīma’s impulsive force, showing that self-control and timely restraint can prevent harm and preserve a larger purpose.
Bhīma, perceiving a tree as though it were a maddened elephant (a vivid simile suggesting danger or agitation), is checked by Yudhiṣṭhira, who intervenes to hold him back and keep the situation from escalating.