Mahabharata 7.183.233 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 183, Shloka 233

Devanagari script

रावणेन समप्राणा ब्रह्म॒यज्ञविनाशना: । हिडिम्ब, वक और किर्मीर--ये रावणके समान बलवान्‌ थे और ब्राह्मणों तथा यज्ञोंका विनाश किया करते थे। इन तीनोंको भीमसेनने मार गिराया है

Transliteration

rāvaṇena samaprāṇā brahmayajñavināśanāḥ | hiḍimba-vaka-kirmīra—ete rāvaṇake samāna balavān te ca brāhmaṇānāṃ yajñānāṃ ca vināśaṃ kurvanti sma | etān api trīn bhīmasenena nihataḥ |

Translation

Vāyu-deva déclara : «Hiḍimba, Vaka et Kirmīra—doués d’une force égale à celle de Rāvaṇa et portés à détruire les rites sacrés—étaient aussi puissants que Rāvaṇa et semaient la ruine parmi les brāhmaṇas et les yajñas. Pourtant, ces trois-là aussi furent abattus par Bhīmasena.»

Word by Word

• रावणेन: by/with Ravana
• रावणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• समप्राणाः: equal in life/breath (i.e., equal in strength/vigor)
• समप्राणाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समप्राण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्रह्मयज्ञविनाशनाः: destroyers of brahmanas and sacrifices
• ब्रह्मयज्ञविनाशनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मयज्ञविनाशन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

श्रीवायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu-deva
• Rāvaṇa
• Hiḍimba
• Vaka (Baka)
• Kirmīra
• Bhīmasena
• Brāhmaṇas
• Yajñas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power divorced from dharma becomes destructive—especially when it targets brāhmaṇas and yajñas, symbols of learning and sacred order. Such adharma invites legitimate opposition, and even formidable strength (likened to Rāvaṇa’s) can be overcome when aligned against righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva recalls three rākṣasas—Hiḍimba, Vaka, and Kirmīra—described as Rāvaṇa-like in strength and as habitual destroyers of brāhmaṇas and sacrifices. He emphasizes that Bhīmasena nevertheless slew all three, highlighting Bhīma’s prowess and the defeat of forces hostile to dharma.