Shloka 13

Saṃvaraṇa–Tapatī Vivāhaḥ (The Marriage of Saṃvaraṇa and Tapatī) — Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva 163

Devanagari script

तथापि परिभूयैन प्रेक्षमाणो वृकोदर: । राक्षसं भुझुक्त एवान्नं पाण्डव: परवीरहा

Transliteration

tathāpi paribhūyaiva prekṣamāṇo vṛkodaraḥ | rākṣasaṁ bhuñjukta evānnaṁ pāṇḍavaḥ paravīrahā ||

Translation

Yet even so, Vṛkodara (Bhīma), looking straight at the rākṣasa, treated him with contempt and continued eating the food. The Pāṇḍava—slayer of enemy heroes—did not cease; by his composure he signaled fearlessness and a refusal to be provoked into rash action.

Word by Word

• तथापि: even so, nevertheless
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि

• परिभूय: having insulted/overpowered (having treated with contempt)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• एनम्: him/this one
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• प्रेक्षमाणः: looking (at), while looking
• प्रेक्षमाणः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• वृकोदरः: Vṛkodara (Bhīma)
• वृकोदरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृकोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• राक्षसम्: the rākṣasa/demon
• राक्षसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• भुञ्जुक्ते: eats, partakes
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: present, indicative, ātmanepada, 3rd, singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• पाण्डवः: the Pāṇḍava (Bhīma)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• परवीरहा: slayer of enemy-heroes
• परवीरहा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परवीरहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vṛkodara (Bhīma)
• Pāṇḍava (Bhīma)
• rākṣasa
• anna (food)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadiness under provocation: Bhīma’s deliberate calm—continuing to eat while meeting the rākṣasa’s gaze—models fearlessness and self-mastery, refusing to let anger or intimidation dictate action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Bhīma, seeing the rākṣasa, openly disregards him and keeps eating. This contempt and composure enrage the rākṣasa, leading into the next action where he attacks Bhīma from behind.