Shloka 14
भीमसेनस्य आत्मबलप्रशंसा — Bhīmasena’s Assertion of Strength
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 74
इति सम मध्ये भ्रातृणां सत्येनालभसे गदाम् । तस्य ते प्रशमे बुद्धिर्ध्रियतेडद्य परंतप
iti samamadhye bhrātṝṇāṁ satyenālabhase gadām | tasya te praśame buddhir dhriyate 'dya parantapa ||
Waiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Demikianlah, di tengah saudara-saudaramu, karena berpegang pada kebenaran engkau memperoleh gada itu. Maka, wahai penakluk musuh, hari ini teguhkanlah tekadmu dalam peneduhan dan pengendalian diri—arahkan pikiranmu untuk menegakkan damai, bukan menyalakan bara.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links moral integrity (satya, truthfulness/keeping one’s word) with rightful attainment, and then urges praśama—calm restraint—as the proper use of strength. Power gained through dharma should be governed by self-control rather than anger.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that the addressed hero has obtained a mace among his brothers through adherence to truth, and he counsels that the hero’s mind should now be steadied toward pacification—signaling a moment where restraint is urged amid rising tensions.