Shloka 19
द्रौपद्याः भीमसेन-प्रबोधनम्
Draupadī Awakens Bhīmasena
भीमसेन मतवाले गजराजकी भाँति एक वृक्षकी ओर देख रहे थे। तब युधिष्ठिरने उन्हें रोकते हुए कहा-- ।। विराटकी राजसभामें कीचकद्दारा सैरन्ध्रीका अपमान आलोकयसि किं वृक्ष सूद दारुकृतेन वै यदि ते दारुभि: कृत्यं बहिर्वक्षात्रिगृह्यताम्,“बललव! क्या तुम ईंधनके लिये वृक्षकी ओर देखते हो? यदि रसोईके लिये सूखी लकड़ी चाहिये, तो बाहर जाकर वृक्षसे ले लो”
vaiśampāyana uvāca | virāṭasya rājasabhāyāṃ kīcakena sairandhryā apamānaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhīmaseno matto gajarāja iva vṛkṣam avalokayām āsa | atha yudhiṣṭhiraḥ taṃ nivārya uvāca— “balala, kim indhanārthaṃ vṛkṣam avalokayasi? yadi te dārubhiḥ kāryaṃ, bahir gatvā vṛkṣāt dāru gṛhṇīyatām” ||
Vaiśampāyana said: In Virāṭa’s royal hall, seeing Kīcaka insult the maidservant (Draupadī in disguise), Bhīmasena stared toward a tree like an intoxicated lord of elephants—his mind already turning to violent retaliation. Then Yudhiṣṭhira restrained him and said, “Ballava, why are you looking at a tree—do you need firewood? If you require dry wood for the kitchen, go outside and take it from a tree.” By this guarded speech, Yudhiṣṭhira protects their concealment and checks Bhīma’s righteous anger from erupting at the wrong time, upholding prudence and dharma under constraint.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not only courage but timing and restraint. Yudhiṣṭhira uses harmless, ordinary words to prevent Bhīma’s anger from exposing their identities, showing that ethical action sometimes requires controlled speech and patience until the right moment.
After Kīcaka humiliates the Sairandhrī (Draupadī) in Virāṭa’s court, Bhīma, enraged, looks toward a tree as if seeking a weapon. Yudhiṣṭhira quickly checks him and disguises the situation by speaking as though Bhīma merely wants firewood for kitchen work.