Shloka 15
भीमसेनस्य आत्मबलप्रशंसा — Bhīmasena’s Assertion of Strength
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 74
तुम अपने भाइयोंके बीचमें सत्यकी शपथ खाकर बार-बार गदा छूते हुए यह कहते थे -- जैसे सूर्यदेव पूर्वदिशामें उदित होते हुए अपने तेजोमण्डलको प्रकट करते दिखायी देते हैं और पश्चिमदिशामें वे ही अंशुमाली अस्ताचलको जाकर निश्चितरूपसे मेरुपर्वतकी परिक्रमा करते हैं, उनके इस नियममें कभी कोई अन्तर नहीं पड़ता; उसी प्रकार मैं यह सच कहता हूँ कि अमर्षशील दुर्योधनके पास जाकर अपनी गदासे उसके प्राण ले लूँगा। मेरे इस कथनमें कभी कोई अन्तर नहीं पड़ सकता।” परंतप! ऐसी प्रतिज्ञा करनेवाले तुम-जैसे वीरशिरोमणिकी बुद्धि आज शान्ति-स्थापनमें लग रही है; (यह आश्वर्यकी बात है!) ।। १२ -१४ || अहो युद्धाभिकाड्क्षाणां युद्धकाल उपस्थिते । चेतांसि विप्रतीपानि यत् त्वां भीर्भीम विन्दति,अहो! युद्धका अवसर उपस्थित होनेपर पहलेसे युद्धकी अभिलाषा रखनेवाले लोगोंके विचार भी इतने बदल जाते हैं कि वे विपरीत सोचने लगते हैं। भीमसेन! जान पड़ता है, इसीलिये तुम्हें भी युद्धसे भय होने लगा है
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tvaṃ svabhrātṛmadhye satyasya śapathaṃ kṛtvā punaḥ punaḥ gadāṃ spṛśan evam avadasi— yathā sūryaḥ pūrvadiśi udayan svatejomāṇḍalaṃ prakāśayann dṛśyate, paścimadiśi ca sa evāṃśumālī astācalaṃ gatvā niścayena meruparvatasya parikramāṃ karoti; tasya niyame kadācana nāntaraṃ bhavati; tathāham etat satyaṃ bravīmi— amārṣaśīlaṃ duryodhanaṃ gatvā svagadayā tasya prāṇān hariṣyāmi; mama vacane kadācana nāntaraṃ bhaviṣyati iti | parantapa! evaṃ pratijñāṃ kurvatas tava yādṛśasya vīraśiromaṇer adya buddhir eva śāntisthāpane niyujyate— āścaryam idam || aho yuddhābhikāṅkṣāṇāṃ yuddhakāle upasthite cetāṃsi vipratīpāni; yat tvāṃ bhīr bhīma vindati ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “In the midst of your brothers you would swear to truth, touching your mace again and again, and declare: ‘Just as the Sun rises in the east revealing his circle of radiance, and that same ray-bearing one goes to the western mountain of setting and unfailingly makes his circuit around Mount Meru—never deviating from his rule—so I speak this truth: I shall go to the hot-tempered Duryodhana and with my mace take his life. In my word there can be no change.’ Yet now, O scorcher of foes, the very mind of a hero-crown like you—who made such a vow—has turned toward establishing peace; this is astonishing. Alas, when the hour of war arrives, even those who longed for battle find their thoughts reversed; thus it seems fear of war has come upon you too, O Bhīma.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage contrasts unwavering cosmic order (the Sun’s regular course) with human wavering at the decisive moment: even those who swore fierce vows may turn toward peace or feel fear when war becomes imminent, highlighting the ethical tension between martial resolve and the impulse to avert destruction.
Vaiśampāyana recalls Bhīma’s earlier public vow—sworn on truth while touching his mace—to kill Duryodhana, and then remarks with surprise that Bhīma’s mind is now inclined toward establishing peace, noting how the approach of war can reverse people’s intentions.