Shloka 10
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
सर्वेषां मम पुत्राणां स एक: क्रूरविक्रम: । बह्नाशी विप्रतीपश्च बाल्येडपि रभस: सदा
sarveṣāṃ mama putrāṇāṃ sa ekaḥ krūravikramaḥ | bahnāśī vipratīpaś ca bālye 'pi rabhasaḥ sadā ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra dit : « Parmi tous mes fils, un seul—Bhīmasena—avait une vaillance farouche : grand mangeur, d’humeur contraire, et toujours impétueux, dès l’enfance même. »
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how power and intensity (Bhīma’s strength and speed) can be interpreted through the lens of fear and factionalism. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s description suggests a moral warning: when a leader is driven by attachment to his own side, he may label the opposing party’s virtues as vices, deepening enmity and undermining dharma-based reconciliation.
In Udyoga Parva, as tensions move toward war, Dhṛtarāṣṭra recalls and characterizes Bhīmasena among the princes. He singles Bhīma out as exceptionally formidable and troublesome from childhood, reflecting the Kaurava court’s long-standing apprehension about Bhīma’s strength and temperament.