Shloka 16
मां चापि विषदह्ेेत् क्रुद्धं कश्न भीम॑ं दुरासदम् । यमौ च दृढ्धन्वानौ यमकालोपमसझ्युती । विराटद्रुपदौ वीरौ यमकालोपमद्युती
māṃ cāpi viṣaṇṇam etat kruddhaṃ kaścit bhīmaṃ durāsadam | yamau ca dṛḍha-dhanvānau yama-kālopama-saṃyutī | virāṭa-drupadau vīrau yama-kālopama-dyutī ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Even I—seeing this—might grow despondent; yet there is Bhīma, wrathful and unassailable. And the twin brothers (Nakula and Sahadeva), firm in the bow, endowed with power like Yama, Lord of Death. And the two heroes Virāṭa and Drupada, radiant with a splendor comparable to Yama and to Time.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of impending conflict while also affirming the presence of formidable protectors. It balances human discouragement (viṣāda) with steadfast courage and preparedness, suggesting that dharma in crisis requires both sober awareness and resolute strength.
Vaiśampāyana lists powerful figures on the Pāṇḍavas’ side—Bhīma, the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, and the allied kings Virāṭa and Drupada—describing them as unassailable and comparable in might and splendor to Yama and Kāla, emphasizing the strength of their coalition as war approaches.