Shloka 3
प्रावृट्-शरत्-वर्णनम् — Description of the Monsoon and Autumn; Sarasvatī in the Pāṇḍavas’ Exile
त॑ं शंससि भयाविष्टमापन्नमरिसूदनम् एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रीतुं परं कौतूहलं हि मे
taṁ śaṁsasi bhayāviṣṭam āpannam arisūdanam | etad icchāmy ahaṁ śrotuṁ paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi me ||
Janamejaya dit : «Tu dis que Bhīmasena, le pourfendeur d’ennemis, fut saisi de peur et tomba dans la détresse. Je veux l’entendre en entier, car ma curiosité en est vivement éveillée : comment le héros qui, dans l’orgueil de sa force, défia même Kubera, fils de Pulastya, et qui tua nombre de Yakṣas et de Rākṣasas sur la rive du lac Puṣkariṇī de Kubera, peut-il être dit maintenant terrifié et accablé ?»
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how even renowned strength and past victories do not guarantee immunity from fear or adversity; it invites reflection on the instability of worldly power and the need to understand causes and context before judging a person’s present condition.
King Janamejaya challenges the narrator’s claim that Bhīma is frightened and distressed, citing Bhīma’s earlier feats against Kubera’s Yakṣas and Rākṣasas at Puṣkariṇī, and asks to hear the full account of what led to this surprising change.