Shloka 21
मेरी बात सुन ले। यह कुन्तीपुत्र भीमसेन यदि युद्धमें तेरी छाती फाड़कर तेरा रक्त न पीये तो इसे पुण्यलोकोंकी प्राप्ति न हो
mama vākyam śṛṇu | ayaṃ kuntīputro bhīmasenaḥ yadi yuddhe tava vakṣaḥ vidārya tava rudhiraṃ na pibet, tarhi asya puṇyalokānāṃ prāptiḥ na bhavet |
«Escucha mis palabras. Si yo, Bhīmasena—hijo de Kuntī—no te desgajo el pecho en batalla y no bebo tu sangre, que no alcance yo los mundos del mérito.»
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the binding power of a warrior’s vow: Bhīma ties his own spiritual merit (attainment of puṇyalokas) to the execution of a promised act of retribution, showing how honor and accountability are enforced through self-imposed ethical stakes—even when the vow itself is violent.
Bhīma addresses an enemy and declares a terrifying oath: unless he kills the opponent in battle in a particularly brutal manner (rending the chest and drinking blood), he considers himself unworthy of attaining meritorious worlds. It functions as a public pledge of vengeance and resolve.