Shloka 22
Saṃvaraṇa–Tapatī Vivāhaḥ (The Marriage of Saṃvaraṇa and Tapatī) — Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva 163
भीमसेनो<डपि तद् रक्ष: परिरभ्य महाभुज: । विस्फुरन्तं महाबाहुं विचकर्ष बलादू बली
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
bhīmaseno 'pi tad rakṣaḥ parirabhya mahābhujaḥ |
visphurantaṃ mahābāhuṃ vicakarṣa balād balī ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Mighty-armed Bhīmasena too clasped that rākṣasa tightly to his chest with both arms, and—strong in power—dragged the great-armed, writhing demon about by sheer force.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power is ethically meaningful when used to restrain and neutralize harm. Bhīma’s strength is portrayed as protective and disciplined—an instrument of dharma rather than mere aggression.
Bhīma seizes the rākṣasa in a crushing embrace, holding him chest-to-chest and dragging him about by force while the demon struggles to break free—an intensification of the combat where Bhīma gains physical control.