Shloka 25
Jarāsandha–Bhīma Niyuddha-prastāvaḥ
Commencement of the Regulated Duel
भक्ष्यमाल्यापणानां च ददृशु: श्रियमुत्तमाम् । स्फीतां सर्वगुणोपेतां सर्वकामसमृद्धिनीम्,उन्होंने खाने-पीनेकी वस्तुओं, फ़ूल-मालाओं तथा अन्य आवश्यक पदार्थोंकी दूकानोंसे सजे हुए हाट-बाटकी अपूर्व शोभा और सम्पदा देखी। नगरका वह वैभव बहुत बढ़ा-चढ़ा, सर्वगुणसम्पन्न तथा समस्त कामनाओंकी पूर्ति करनेवाला था। उस गलीकी अद्भुत समृद्धिको देखकर वे महाबली नरश्रेष्ठ श्रीकृष्ण, भीम और अर्जुन एक मालीसे बलपूर्वक बहुत-सी मालाएँ लेकर नगरकी प्रधान सड़कसे चलने लगे
bhakṣya-mālyāpaṇānāṁ ca dadṛśuḥ śriyam uttamām | sphītāṁ sarva-guṇopetāṁ sarva-kāma-samṛddhinīm ||
Vaiśampāyana said: They beheld the finest splendor—markets filled with foodstuffs and garland-stalls—prosperous, endowed with every excellence, and able to fulfill all desires. The scene shows how worldly abundance can dazzle the eye, even as the epic’s moral horizon asks whether such prosperity is governed by restraint and dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the allure of material prosperity—markets overflowing with goods and beauty—while implicitly inviting reflection on whether abundance is aligned with dharma (restraint, right conduct) rather than mere gratification of desire.
The narrator describes the characters observing a city’s flourishing marketplace: stalls of food and garlands and an overall atmosphere of exceptional wealth and completeness, portrayed as capable of satisfying every desire.