Shloka 12
Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens
न हि सो<स्ति पुमॉाल्लोके य: संक़्रुद्धं वृकोदरम् | द्रष्टमत्युग्रकर्माणं विषहेत नरर्षभम्
na hi so 'sti pumāṁl loke yaḥ saṅkruddhaṁ vṛkodaram | draṣṭum atyugrakarmāṇaṁ viṣaheta nararṣabham ||
Sañjaya said: “In this world there is no man who could endure even to look upon Vṛkodara when he is inflamed with anger—upon that bull among men whose deeds, in their ferocity, become terrifying.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming moral-psychological power of controlled martial fury: when a great warrior’s anger is roused, his presence alone can break opponents’ resolve. It also implies an ethical warning—such force must be governed by dharma, because unrestrained wrath becomes terrifying to all.
Sañjaya, narrating the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describes Bhīma (Vṛkodara) in a state of intense anger. He emphasizes that no ordinary man can even bear to look at Bhīma when he is about to unleash his fearsome prowess in combat.