Shloka 14
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
अस्त्रे द्रोणार्जुनसमं वायुवेगसमं जवे । महेश्वरसमं क्रोधे को हन्याद् भीममाहवे,वह अस्त्रविद्यामें द्रोणाचार्य तथा अर्जुनके समान है, वेगमें वायुकी समानता करता है एवं क्रोधमें महेश्वरके तुल्य है। ऐसे भीमको युद्धमें कौन मार सकता है?
astre droṇārjunasamaṃ vāyuvegāsamaṃ jave | maheśvarasamaṃ krodhe ko hanyād bhīmam āhave ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “In mastery of weapons he is the equal of Droṇa and Arjuna; in speed he matches the wind; and in wrath he is comparable to Maheśvara. Who, then, could slay Bhīma in battle?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary power—skill, speed, and wrath—can make a warrior seem invincible, and it implicitly warns rulers that fear and misjudgment in the face of such power can drive disastrous decisions in a dharma-crisis.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects on Bhīma’s formidable capabilities, rhetorically asking who could possibly kill him in battle, revealing the Kuru court’s apprehension as war approaches.