Shloka 36
मैत्रेयागमनम् — The Arrival of Maitreya and the Admonition to Duryodhana
यदि तेन पुरा मुक्तो भीमसेनो बकेन वै । अद्यैनं भक्षयिष्यामि पश्यतस्ते युधिछ्िर,'युधिष्ठिर! यदि पहले बकासुरने भीमसेनको छोड़ दिया, तो आज मैं तुम्हारे देखते- देखते इसे खा जाऊँगा
yadi tena purā mukto bhīmaseno bakena vai | adyainaṁ bhakṣayiṣyāmi paśyatas te yudhiṣṭhira ||
“If, in former days, Bhīmasena was indeed spared by Baka, then today—while you look on, O Yudhiṣṭhira—I shall devour this very one.” The utterance underscores a fierce resolve to correct a past wrong and to protect the righteous by confronting predatory violence directly, even at the cost of escalating danger.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Adharma that preys upon the weak must be confronted decisively; righteous leadership includes the duty to protect others and to rectify past harms, even when doing so demands personal risk and unwavering resolve.
The speaker declares that if the demon Baka once spared Bhīma, then now he will retaliate by devouring Baka in Yudhiṣṭhira’s presence—an emphatic vow of direct action against a violent oppressor.