Shloka 136
तत्रावहसितश्नासीत् प्रस्कन्दन्निव सम्भ्रमात् । प्रत्यक्ष वासुदेवस्थ भीमेनानभिजातवत्,उसी सभाभवनमें जब सम्भ्रम (जलमें स्थल और स्थलमें जलका भ्रम) होनेके कारण दुर्योधनके पाँव फिसलने-से लगे, तब भगवान् श्रीकृष्णके सामने ही भीमसेनने उसे गँवार- सा सिद्ध करते हुए उसकी हँसी उड़ायी थी
tatrāvahasitāśnāsīt praskandann iva sambhramāt | pratyakṣa-vāsudevastha bhīmenānabhijātavat ||
There, in that hall, when—through confusion (mistaking water for solid ground and solid ground for water)—Duryodhana slipped as if stumbling in agitation, Bhīmasena, right in the presence of Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa), mocked him with laughter, making him appear like an uncultured fool. Ethically, the scene highlights how public ridicule and humiliation, even when provoked by another’s misstep, can deepen enmity and become a seed of later violence.
Educational Q&A
Public mockery and humiliation, especially before respected witnesses, can harden resentment and escalate conflict; restraint in speech and conduct is ethically weighty even when one’s rival is at fault.
In the wondrous assembly hall where water and floor can be mistaken, Duryodhana slips in confusion; Bhīma laughs at him openly, even with Kṛṣṇa present, intensifying Duryodhana’s sense of insult.