Shloka 31
Bhīṣma’s Fall, the Arrow-bed (śara-talpa), and the Establishment of Guard
भीमसेनश्व बलवान माद्रीपुत्रौ च पाण्डवौ । वासुदेवश्व वा्ष्णेयो यस्य नाथो व्यवस्थित:
bhīmasenaś ca balavān mādrīputrau ca pāṇḍavau | vāsudevaś ca vārṣṇeyo yasya nātho vyavasthitaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “He has mighty Bhīmasena, and the two Pāṇḍava sons of Mādrī; and Vāsudeva, the Vārṣṇeya, stands firmly as his protector. In Yudhiṣṭhira alone are clearly seen devotion toward brāhmaṇas, restraint of the senses, generosity, austerity, and noble conduct—by the fruit of these virtues he has such brothers as Arjuna, powerful Bhīma, and Nakula and Sahadeva, and the Lord Vāsudeva remains ever beside him as guardian and helper.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links ethical excellence—reverence for the worthy (especially brāhmaṇas), self-control, generosity, austerity, and good conduct—with the ‘fruit’ of strong support: noble allies and, above all, the steadfast protection of Vāsudeva. It presents virtue as a cause of both human solidarity and divine guardianship.
Sañjaya is describing Yudhiṣṭhira’s side by highlighting the strength and support surrounding him: powerful brothers (Bhīma and the twins Nakula–Sahadeva) and Kṛṣṇa as an unwavering protector. The statement functions as praise and as an assessment of why the Pāṇḍavas are formidable in the war setting.