Shloka 14
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय संवादः — उपप्लव्यगमनाज्ञा
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Command to Proceed to Upaplavya
गदाभूतां नास्ति समो5त्र भीमा- द्धस्त्यारोहो नास्ति समक्ष तस्य । रथे<र्जुनादाहुरहीनमेनं बाद्वोर्बलेनायुतनागवीर्यम्
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: gadābhūtāṁ nāsti samo ’tra bhīmād; hastyāroho nāsti samakṣa tasya | rathe ’rjunād āhur ahīnam enaṁ; bāhvor balenāyutanāgavīryam || striyo vṛddhā bhāratānāṁ jananyo mahānasyyo dāsabhāryāś ca vai sūta | vadhvaḥ putrā bhāgineyā bhaginyo dauhitrā vā kaccid apy avyālīkāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “On this earth there is none equal to Bhīma among the mace-bearers; nor is there any elephant-rider who can stand before him. In chariot-war too, they say he is not inferior to Arjuna; and in the strength of his arms he has the might of ten thousand elephants. And, O Sūta, are the women of the Bhāratas—mothers, elderly ladies, kitchen-attendants, slave-wives, daughters-in-law, sons, nephews, sisters, and grandsons through daughters—are all of them living without deceit and in good faith?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage juxtaposes two dharmic concerns: (1) recognizing and accurately praising martial excellence without exaggeration, and (2) grounding political-military narratives in the welfare and moral health of the household and community—asking whether vulnerable and dependent members live sincerely and safely.
Vaiśampāyana reports a description of Bhīma’s unmatched prowess—supreme among mace-fighters, formidable even to elephant-warriors, not inferior to Arjuna in chariot-combat, and possessing immense arm-strength—followed by a conventional ‘kaccit’ inquiry addressed to Sūta about the well-being and honest conduct of the Bhārata household members (women, elders, servants, and kin).