Shloka 16
भीमसेनस्य आत्मबलप्रशंसा — Bhīmasena’s Assertion of Strength
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 74
अहो पार्थ निमित्तानि विपरीतानि पश्यसि । स्वप्रान्ते जागरान्ते च तस्मात् प्रशममिच्छसि,कुन्तीनन्दन! बड़े विस्मयकी बात है कि तुम्हें सोते और जागतेमें उलटे परिणामकी सूचना देनेवाले अपशकुन दिखायी देते हैं। इसीसे तुम शान्तिकी इच्छा प्रकट कर रहे हो
aho pārtha nimittāni viparītāni paśyasi | svaprānte jāgarānte ca tasmāt praśamam icchasi, kuntīnandana ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Alas, O Pārtha, you are seeing ominous signs that portend contrary and adverse outcomes—both at the end of sleep and at the end of wakefulness. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, you are expressing a desire for pacification and peace.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how perceived omens and inner apprehension can turn the mind toward praśama (calming/peace). Ethically, it frames the impulse to seek peace not as weakness but as a response to foreboding signs and the gravity of impending conflict.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses Pārtha (Arjuna), noting that he is witnessing adverse portents both in sleep-related and waking states. Because of these unsettling indications, Arjuna is inclined to seek pacification and peace amid the tense lead-up to war.