Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 6

Jarāsandha–Vāsudeva Saṃvāda: Kṣātra-Dharma, Pride, and the Ethics of Coercion

Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 20

अलं तस्य महाबाहुर्भीमसेनो महाबल: | लोकस्य समुदीर्णस्य निधनायान्तको यथा,जैसे उत्पन्न हुए सम्पूर्ण जगत्‌के विनाशके लिये एक ही यमराज काफी हैं, उसी प्रकार महाबली महाबाहु भीमसेन जरासंधके वधके लिये पर्याप्त हैं

alaṁ tasya mahābāhur bhīmaseno mahābalaḥ | lokasya samudīrṇasya nidhanāyāntako yathā ||

Vāyu dit : «Pour cette tâche, Bhīmasena, aux bras puissants et à la force immense, suffit pleinement à lui seul. De même qu’un seul Yama, l’Anéantisseur, suffit à apporter la destruction d’un monde parvenu à son terme, ainsi Bhīma seul suffit à accomplir la mort de Jarāsandha.»

अलम्enough; sufficient
अलम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअलम्
Formindeclinable
तस्यof him/that (for him/that purpose)
तस्य:
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine/neuter, genitive, singular
महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed (one)
महाबाहुः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमहाबाहु
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
भीमसेनःBhimasena
भीमसेनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभीमसेन
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
महाबलःvery strong; mighty
महाबलः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमहाबल
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
लोकस्यof the world/people
लोकस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootलोक
Formmasculine, genitive, singular
समुदीर्णस्यarisen; stirred up; in upheaval
समुदीर्णस्य:
TypeAdjective
Rootसमुदीर्ण
Formmasculine, genitive, singular
निधनायfor destruction; for death
निधनाय:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootनिधन
Formneuter, dative, singular
अन्तकःDeath; Yama
अन्तकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअन्तक
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
यथाas; just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
Formindeclinable

वायुदेव उवाच

वायुदेव (Vāyu)
भीमसेन (Bhīmasena/Bhīma)
अन्तक/यम (Antaka/Yama, Death)
जरासन्ध (Jarāsandha)

Educational Q&A

The verse asserts fitness and sufficiency: when a task is aligned with destiny and dharma, the rightly empowered agent is enough. Bhīma’s strength and role are portrayed as divinely apt—like Yama’s inevitability—emphasizing moral certainty and decisive action against an oppressive ruler.

Vāyu, Bhīma’s divine father, declares that Bhīma alone is adequate to bring about Jarāsandha’s death. He reinforces this by a simile: as one Antaka (Yama) can end a world at its appointed time, so Bhīma can accomplish the slaying of Jarāsandha.