Shloka 85

Kirmīra-rākṣasa-saṃgamaḥ (Encounter and Slaying of Kirmīra) | किर्मीरेण सह भीमसेनसमागमः

Devanagari script

प्रतिबुद्धस्तु कौन्तेय: सर्वान्‌ सर्पानपो थयत्‌ । सारथिं चास्य दयितमपहस्तेन जध्निवान्‌,जागनेपर कुन्तीनन्दन भीमने सब सर्पोंको उठा-उठाकर पटक दिया। दुर्योधनने भीमसेनके प्रिय सारथिको भी उलटे हाथसे मार डाला

Transliteration

pratibuddhas tu kaunteyaḥ sarvān sarpān apothayat | sārathiṁ cāsya dayitam apahastena jahnivān ||

Translation

Cuando el hijo de Kuntī despertó, abatió con violencia a todas las serpientes. También mató a su querido auriga con un golpe de revés.

Word by Word

प्रतिबुद्धःawakened, having come to himself

तुbut, however

कौन्तेयःson of Kunti (Bhima)

सर्वान्all

सर्पान्snakes

अपोथयत्he struck down / dashed (them)

सारथिम्charioteer

चand

अस्यof him / his

दयितम्beloved, dear

अपहस्तेनwith the back of the hand

जघ्निवान्he slew / killed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)

क

कौन्तेय (Kaunteya—son of Kuntī, contextually Bhīma)

भ

भीम (Bhīma, implied by the Hindi gloss)

द

दुर्योधन (Duryodhana, per the Hindi gloss)

स

सर्प (serpents/snakes)

स

सारथि (charioteer)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical volatility of anger and sudden retaliation: once roused, immense power can become indiscriminate, escalating harm beyond the immediate threat. It invites reflection on restraint (dama) and proportional response even amid danger.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the Kaunteya, upon waking, strikes down all the serpents and also kills a beloved charioteer with a backhand blow, portraying a rapid, forceful turn in the encounter and its grim consequences.