Shloka 41

Devanagari script

स संरम्भी दुरात्मा च चपल: क्रूर एव च । वेद चास्त्रं ब्रह्मशिरस्तस्माद्‌ रक्ष्यो वृकोदर:,“वह क्रोधी, दुष्टात्मा, चपल और क्रूर है। साथ ही उसे ब्रह्मास्त्रका भी ज्ञान है; अतः उससे भीमसेनकी रक्षा करनी चाहिये”

Transliteration

sa saṃrambhī durātmā ca capalaḥ krūra eva ca | veda cāstraṃ brahmaśirastasmād rakṣyo vṛkodaraḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “He is impetuous in wrath, wicked at heart, fickle, and indeed cruel. Moreover, he knows the weapon called Brahmaśiras; therefore Vṛkodara (Bhīma) must be carefully protected from him.”

Word by Word

सःhe

संरम्भीimpetuous, wrathful

दुरात्माevil-souled person

चand

चपलःfickle, unsteady

क्रूरःcruel

एवindeed, certainly

चand

वेदknows

चalso

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

ब्रह्मशिरःthe Brahma-head weapon (Brahmashiras)

तस्मात्from him; therefore

रक्ष्यःto be protected; should be protected

वृकोदरःVrikodara (Bhima)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Brahmaśiras astra

Vṛkodara (Bhīmasena)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that moral corruption combined with mastery of catastrophic weapons makes a person exceptionally dangerous; dharma in such a context requires vigilance and protective responsibility toward those at risk.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana characterizes a hostile figure as wrathful, wicked, fickle, and cruel, and notes his knowledge of the Brahmaśiras weapon; on that basis he urges that Bhīma (Vṛkodara) be guarded against him.