Shloka 166

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

कथं तस्य रणे वेग॑ मानुष: प्रसहिष्यति । जिसने पूर्वकालमें भयंकर बलशाली यक्षों तथा राक्षसोंका वध किया है, युद्धमें उसका वेग कोई मनुष्य कैसे सह सकेगा?

Transliteration

kathaṁ tasya raṇe vegaṁ mānuṣaḥ prasahiṣyati |

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra dit : «Comment un simple mortel pourrait-il soutenir son assaut au combat ? C’est lui qui jadis tua des Yakṣas et des Rākṣasas terribles et puissants ; qui donc, parmi les hommes, pourrait endurer sa vitesse et sa force guerrières ?»

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• तस्य: of him/that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• वेगम्: speed/impetus
• वेगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• मानुषः: a man (human)
• मानुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• प्रसहिष्यति: will be able to endure/withstand
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह्
• Form: simple future (luṭ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Yakṣas
• Rākṣasas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and strategic weight of accurately assessing strength: past deeds and proven prowess shape realistic judgment in war, and fear born of such assessment influences royal decision-making.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, anxious about the coming conflict, reflects on a warrior’s extraordinary past—having slain Yakṣas and Rākṣasas—and concludes that such a fighter’s battlefield momentum would be unbearable for ordinary humans.