Shloka 32
प्रावृट्-शरत्-वर्णनम् — Description of the Monsoon and Autumn; Sarasvatī in the Pāṇḍavas’ Exile
नागायुतसमप्राण: सिंहस्कन्धो महाभुज: गृहीतो व्यजहात् सत्त्वं वरदानविमोहितः
nāgāyutasamaprāṇaḥ siṁhaskandho mahābhujaḥ gṛhīto vyajahāt sattvaṁ varadānavimohitaḥ
Vaiśampāyana said: Though his vital strength was like that of ten thousand elephants, with shoulders like a lion’s and mighty arms, once seized he lost his courage—his mind deluded by the boon granted to the serpent.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Physical might and heroic attributes do not guarantee steadiness; when the mind is clouded by moha and when a boon-backed power operates, even the strong can lose resolve. The verse highlights the ethical need for inner clarity and humility before forces sanctioned by dharma or divine ordinance.
A powerful, lion-shouldered, mighty-armed figure is caught in a serpent’s grip. Despite immense vitality—likened to ten thousand elephants—he becomes bewildered due to the serpent’s boon and, once seized, abandons his courage.