Shloka 29
देवसत्रे मृत्युनिरोधः, पूर्वेन्द्राणां मानुषावतरणम्, द्रौपदी-वरकथनम्
Suspension of Death at the Devasatra; Former Indras’ Human Descent; Draupadī’s Boon Etiology
तत्राश्नर्य भीमसेनश्वकार पुरुषर्षभः । यच्छल्यं पातितं भूमौ नावधीद् बलिनं बली,कुरुश्रेष्ठ बलवान् भीमसेनने एक आश्चर्यकी बात यह की कि महाबली शल्यको पृथ्वीपर पटककर भी मार नहीं डाला
tatrāśnary bhīmasenaśvakāra puruṣarṣabhaḥ | yacchalyaṃ pātitaṃ bhūmau nāvadhīd balinaṃ balī ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Allí, Bhīmasena —toro entre los hombres— realizó un hecho verdaderamente asombroso: aunque había arrojado al poderoso Śalya contra la tierra, aquel héroe de gran fuerza no lo mató. El instante revela contención en medio del poder, insinuando que la verdadera destreza incluye la capacidad de perdonar la vida, y no sólo la de herir.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that real strength is not only the ability to overpower an opponent but also the self-control to refrain from killing when one has the advantage—an ethical restraint aligned with dharma.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Bhīma forcefully throws the mighty Śalya to the ground, yet—despite having the power to finish him—Bhīma does not kill him, making the act noteworthy and surprising.