Shloka 56
अध्याय ७५ — दैव-पुरुषकार-समन्वयः
Reconciling Contingency and Human Effort
आत्मन: पौरुषं चैव बल॑ं च न सम॑ परै: । वृष्णिकुलनन्दन! इसीलिये मैं आपसे अपने उस पौरुष तथा बलका वर्णन करना चाहता हूँ, जिसकी समानता दूसरे लोग नहीं कर सकते
ātmanaḥ pauruṣaṃ caiva balaṃ ca na samaṃ paraiḥ | vṛṣṇikulanandana! tasmād ahaṃ tvāṃ prati svasyāsya pauruṣasya balasya ca varṇanaṃ kartum icchāmi, yasya samatāṃ pare kartum na śaknuvanti |
Bhīmasena said: “O delight of the Vṛṣṇi clan, for this reason I wish to describe to you my own manly prowess and strength—something that others cannot equal.”
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes steadfast self-knowledge and readiness to fulfill one’s kṣatriya-duty: Bhīma asserts his unmatched capability not as vanity alone, but as a pledge of responsibility toward allies and the righteous cause.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīma addresses Kṛṣṇa (called Vṛṣṇikulanandana) and announces that his prowess and strength are unequalled, stating his intention to describe or proclaim that power as the conflict approaches.