Shloka 18

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 33 — Kuru Cattle-Raid and Matsya Mobilization (भूमिंजय-प्रेरणा)

Devanagari script

मा भीम साहसं कार्षीस्तिष्ठत्वेष वनस्पति: । मा त्वां वृक्षेण कर्माणि कुर्वाणमतिमानुषम्‌,'भीमसेन! ऐसा दुःसाहस न करो, इस वृक्षको खड़ा रहने दो। यदि तुम इस महावृक्षको उखाड़नेका अतिमानुष (मानवोंके लिये असाध्य) कर्म करोगे, तो सब लोग पहचान लेंगे कि यह तो भीम है। अतः भारत! तुम किसी दूसरे मानवोचित आयुधको ही ग्रहण करो

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | mā bhīma sāhasaṁ kārṣīs tiṣṭhatveṣa vanaspatiḥ | mā tvāṁ vṛkṣeṇa karmāṇi kurvāṇam atimānuṣam |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Tu es nicht, Bhīma, wage diese Tollkühnheit nicht; lass diesen Baum stehen. Wenn du diese übermenschliche Tat vollbringst und einen Baum zur Waffe machst, werden die Leute dich als Bhīma erkennen. Darum, o Bhārata, ergreife eine andere Waffe, wie sie einem gewöhnlichen Menschen ziemt.“

Word by Word

• {'mā': 'do not (prohibitive particle)', 'bhīma': 'Bhīma (addressed in vocative)', 'sāhasam': 'rashness, reckless daring', 'kārṣīḥ (kārṣīs)': 'you should do/make (2nd person singular, prohibitive context)', 'tiṣṭhatu': 'let it stand

• let it remain', 'eṣa': 'this', 'vanaspatiḥ': 'tree (lord of the forest

• a large tree)', 'vṛkṣeṇa': 'with a tree (instrumental)', 'karmāṇi': 'deeds, actions', 'kurvāṇam': 'doing, performing (present participle)', 'atimānuṣam': 'superhuman

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīma (Bhīmasena)
• tree (vanaspati/vṛkṣa)
• Bhārata (epithet/address)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when one has extraordinary strength, dharma may require restraint and strategic discretion. Displaying superhuman prowess can endanger a larger duty—here, maintaining concealment—so one should choose means appropriate to the situation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Virāṭa episode, Bhīma is being cautioned not to uproot or wield a tree, because such an unmistakably superhuman act would reveal his identity. He is urged to use a more ordinary weapon so the Pandavas’ disguise remains intact.