Shloka 42
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
महेन्द्र इव वज्ेण दानवान् देवसत्तम: । भीमसेनो गदापाणि: सूदयिष्यति मे सुतान्,जैसे देवश्रेष्ठ इन्द्र वज़से दानवोंका संहार करते हैं, उसी प्रकार हाथमें गदा लिये भीमसेन मेरे पुत्रोंका संहार कर डालेगा
mahendra iva vajreṇa dānavān devasattamaḥ | bhīmaseno gadāpāṇiḥ sūdayiṣyati me sutān |
Dijo Dhṛtarāṣṭra: «Como Mahendra—Indra, el más excelso de los dioses—con su rayo (vajra) destruye a los Dānavas, así Bhīmasena, con la maza en la mano, dará muerte a mis hijos».
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral logic of consequence: when adharma accumulates, destruction can become inevitable, and the agent of punishment may appear as forceful and uncompromising as a divine power (Indra with the vajra). Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s fear reflects belated recognition that partiality and injustice toward the Pāṇḍavas has set the stage for catastrophic retribution.
In Udyoga Parva, as war becomes unavoidable, Dhṛtarāṣṭra voices dread about the coming conflict. He imagines Bhīma—renowned for strength and his mace—as the slayer of his sons, comparing him to Indra destroying the Dānavas with the thunderbolt.