Shloka 14
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
अस्त्रे द्रोणार्जुनसमं वायुवेगसमं जवे । महेश्वरसमं क्रोधे को हन्याद् भीममाहवे
astre droṇārjunasamaṃ vāyuvegāsamaṃ jave | maheśvarasamaṃ krodhe ko hanyād bhīmam āhave ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Dalam penguasaan senjata ia setara Droṇa dan Arjuna; dalam kecepatan ia menyamai angin; dan dalam amarah ia sebanding dengan Maheśvara. Siapa yang dapat membunuh Bhīma di medan perang?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary power—skill, speed, and wrath—can make a warrior seem invincible, and it implicitly warns rulers that fear and misjudgment in the face of such power can drive disastrous decisions in a dharma-crisis.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects on Bhīma’s formidable capabilities, rhetorically asking who could possibly kill him in battle, revealing the Kuru court’s apprehension as war approaches.