Shloka 14
Adhyāya 129 — Public Acclaim of the Pāṇḍavas and Duryodhana’s Appeal to Dhṛtarāṣṭra
उद्यानान्निर्गताः सर्वे भ्रातरो भ्रातृभि: सह । तत्रैकस्तु महाबाहुर्भीमो नाभ्येति मामिह,“उद्यानसे सब लोग अपने भाइयोंके साथ चलकर यहाँ आ गये, किंतु अकेला महाबाहु भीम अबतक मेरे पास लौटकर नहीं आया!
udyānān nirgataḥ sarve bhrātaro bhrātṛbhiḥ saha | tatraikaḥ tu mahābāhur bhīmo nābhyeti mām iha ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “All the brothers have come out of the garden and returned here together with their brothers; but Bhīma alone, the mighty-armed one, has not yet come back to me here.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights responsible concern within kinship: when a group returns safely, the absence of even one member—especially a protector like Bhīma—demands attention and inquiry. It underscores vigilance and duty toward one’s companions rather than indifference.
After the brothers leave the garden and return, the narrator notes that everyone has come back except Bhīma. This creates suspense and signals that something significant has happened to him or that he is engaged elsewhere.