Shloka 2
प्रावृट्-शरत्-वर्णनम् — Description of the Monsoon and Autumn; Sarasvatī in the Pāṇḍavas’ Exile
पौलस्त्यं धनदं युद्धे य आह्वयति दर्पित: नलिन्यां कदनं कृत्वा निहन्ता यक्षरक्षसाम्
paulastyaṃ dhanadaṃ yuddhe ya āhvayati darpitaḥ | nalinyāṃ kadanaṃ kṛtvā nihantā yakṣa-rakṣasām ||
Janamejaya dit : «Comment peux-tu décrire Bhīmasena—qui, enflé d’orgueil de sa force, osa défier Dhanada (Kubera), fils de Pulastya, au combat, et qui, après avoir semé le carnage près de l’étang aux lotus, devint le meurtrier des Yakṣas et des Rākṣasas—comme saisi de peur et accablé par le malheur ? Je veux entendre cet épisode en détail, car ma curiosité est grande.»
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension between heroic prowess and the instability of pride: even one famed for defeating formidable beings can later be described as fearful or distressed, prompting reflection on how circumstances and inner states (like arrogance or vulnerability) affect conduct and reputation.
Janamejaya expresses astonishment that Bhīma—known for challenging Kubera and slaughtering Yakṣas and Rākṣasas at the lotus-pond—could be portrayed as frightened and afflicted. He asks to hear the full story in detail.