Shloka 18

प्रावृट्-शरत्-वर्णनम् — Description of the Monsoon and Autumn; Sarasvatī in the Pāṇḍavas’ Exile

Devanagari script

चिरसम्बद्धदर्पस्तु भीमसेनो वने तदा गजेन्द्राश्न महासत्त्वा मृगेन्द्राश्ष महाबला:

Transliteration

cirasambaddhadarpas tu bhīmaseno vane tadā | gajendrāś ca mahāsattvā mṛgendrāś ca mahābalāḥ ||

Translation

Waiśampāyana berkata— Saat itu di rimba, Bhīmasena—yang lama menahan keangkuhannya—melihat gajah-gajah pemimpin yang berjiwa besar dan raja-raja binatang yang sangat kuat, sukar ditundukkan bahkan oleh kedahsyatan dirinya.

Word by Word

चिरसम्बद्धदर्पःwhose pride had long been bound/held (long-cherished pride)

तुbut/indeed

भीमसेनःBhimasena (Bhima)

वनेin the forest

तदाthen/at that time

गजेन्द्राश्नःelephant-lord-eater (lion; lit. eater of lordly elephants)

महासत्त्वःof great might/being a great creature

मृगेन्द्राश्नःlion-eater (a stronger beast; lit. eater of the lord of beasts)

महाबलःvery strong

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

forest (vana)

gajendra (great elephants)

mṛgendra (lions / lords of beasts)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power is not merely physical might; it is also the capacity to restrain pride and act with self-control when confronted by formidable forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Bhīma in the forest at a moment when he faces powerful wild creatures—great elephants and lions—setting a tone of trial and confrontation during the Pāṇḍavas’ exile.