Shloka 21
Chapter 49: Sañjaya’s Enumeration of the Pāṇḍava Coalition (पाण्डवसैन्यसमागम-वर्णनम्)
निः:सृत्य जतुगेहाद् वै हिडिम्बात् पुरुषादकात् | यश्चलैषामभवद् द्वीप: कुन्तीपुत्रो वृकोदर:
niḥsṛtya jatugṛhād vai hiḍimbāt puruṣādakāt | yaś cālaiṣām abhavad dvīpaḥ kuntīputro vṛkodaraḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Setelah lolos dari rumah lak dan selamat dari Hiḍimba, rākṣasa pemakan manusia, putra Kuntī, Vṛkodara (Bhīma), menjadi bagi mereka laksana sebuah ‘pulau’—tempat berlindung yang aman dan penopang penyelamat di tengah bahaya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal of protective strength used in service of others: Bhīma’s power is portrayed not merely as force, but as a refuge—like an island—for those endangered. Courage and capability attain moral worth when they safeguard the vulnerable.
Sañjaya recalls earlier crises faced by the Pāṇḍavas: their escape from the lac-house plot and their deliverance from the man-eating rākṣasa Hiḍimba. In both dangers, Bhīma (Vṛkodara), Kuntī’s son, functioned as their chief protector and means of survival.