Shloka 31
Bhīma–Draupadī Saṃvāda on Restraint, Protection, and the Kīcaka Threat
Virāṭa-parva, Adhyāya 20
तौ गृहीत्वा च कौन्तेयो बाष्पमुत्सृज्य वीर्यवान् | ततः परमदु:खार्त इदं वचनमत्रवीत्,फिर पराक्रमी भीमने उन हाथोंको पकड़कर आँसू बहाते हुए अत्यन्त दुःखसे पीड़ित हो इस प्रकार कहा
tau gṛhītvā ca kaunteyo bāṣpam utsṛjya vīryavān | tataḥ paramaduḥkhārta idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then the valiant son of Kuntī, taking hold of those hands, shed tears; and, overwhelmed by the deepest sorrow, he spoke these words.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that strength (vīrya) is not opposed to tenderness: even a heroic figure may weep when dharma, loyalty, and personal bonds are strained. Ethical maturity includes acknowledging grief while still moving toward right action.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that the Kaunteya (here, the valiant Bhīma in context) grasps someone’s hands, breaks into tears, and—pierced by intense sorrow—begins to speak, setting up an emotionally charged exchange in the Virāṭa-parvan episode.