Shloka 101
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
फलमूलाशने शक्तस्त्वं तथातिथिपूजने । न त्वां शस्त्रसमुद्योगे योग्यं मन्न्ये वृकोदर,“वृकोदर! तू फल-मूल खाने और अतिथिसत्कार करनेमें समर्थ है। मैं तुझे हथियार उठानेके योग्य नहीं मानता'
phalamūlāśane śaktas tvaṃ tathātithipūjane | na tvāṃ śastrasamudyoge yogyaṃ manye vṛkodara ||
Sañjaya dit : «Vṛkodara, tu sais vivre de fruits et de racines et honorer les hôtes ; mais je ne te tiens pas pour apte à prendre les armes dans l’entreprise de la guerre.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse juxtaposes two dharmic virtues—ascetic simplicity (living on fruits and roots) and hospitality (honoring guests)—with the distinct competence required for warfare. It implies that virtues suited to peaceful, domestic or forest life do not automatically translate into fitness for violent conflict, highlighting the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between multiple, context-dependent duties (dharma).
Sañjaya addresses Vṛkodara (Bhīma) with a disparaging assessment: he credits him with abilities associated with austerity and guest-reception, but denies his suitability for weapon-based engagement. In context, such speech functions as a taunt or rhetorical belittlement amid the war narrative, aiming to undermine or provoke the opponent’s martial self-conception.