Shloka 23
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
इति बाल्ये श्रुतः पूर्व मया व्यासमुखात् पुरा । रूपतो वीर्यतश्चैव याथातथ्येन पाण्डव:
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | iti bālye śrutaḥ pūrvaṃ mayā vyāsamukhāt purā | rūpato vīryataś caiva yāthātathyena pāṇḍavaḥ | amarṣī nityasaṃrabdho bhīmaḥ praharatāṃ varaḥ | mayā tāta pratīpāni kurvan pūrva-vimānitaḥ | tāta sañjaya! sadā krodham-eṃ bharā rahanevālā amarṣaśīla bhīmasena prahār karanevāle yoddhāoṃ meṃ sabse śreṣṭha hai | mere putroṃ ke pratikūl ācaraṇ karte samay maiṃne pahle kaī bār usakā apamān kiyā hai |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Demikianlah, dahulu kala sejak masa kanak-kanakku, dari mulut Vyāsa aku mendengar kebenaran tentang Pāṇḍava itu—tentang wujudnya dan kekuatannya sebagaimana adanya. Bhīma, yang tak tahan penghinaan dan selalu mudah tersulut amarah, adalah yang terdepan di antara para pemukul di medan perang. Dan aku, wahai Sañjaya, ketika ia bertindak berlawanan dengan putra-putraku, telah berkali-kali menghinakannya.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how repeated humiliation and disregard for another’s dignity can harden resentment and intensify anger, especially in a powerful person. Dhṛtarāṣṭra implicitly recognizes a moral and political failure: by insulting Bhīma when he opposed the Kauravas, he helped deepen enmity and invited dangerous consequences.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra tells Sañjaya that he had earlier heard from Vyāsa an accurate description of the Pāṇḍavas’ true strength, focusing on Bhīma’s formidable nature as the best of attackers. He then admits that he had previously humiliated Bhīma when Bhīma acted against Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons, acknowledging Bhīma’s enduring anger and the peril it poses.