Shloka 4
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 139 — Hiḍimba’s Detection and Hiḍimbā’s Approach to Bhīma
असियुद्धे गदायुद्धे रथयुद्धे च पाण्डव: । संकर्षणादशिक्षद् वै शश्वच्छिक्षां वृकोदर:,पाण्डुनन्दन भीमसेन बलरामजीसे नित्यप्रति खड्गयुद्ध, गदायुद्ध तथा रथयुद्धकी शिक्षा लेने लगे
asiyuddhe gadāyuddhe rathayuddhe ca pāṇḍavaḥ | saṅkarṣaṇād aśikṣad vai śaśvacchikṣāṃ vṛkodaraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: In sword-fighting, mace-fighting, and chariot warfare, Bhīma—the Pāṇḍava known as Vṛkodara—continually received training from Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma). The passage highlights disciplined apprenticeship in the arts of war, implying that martial power is to be grounded in sustained instruction under a worthy teacher rather than mere impulse or brute strength.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Strength and heroism are shown as products of sustained discipline and proper instruction: Bhīma’s prowess arises from continual training under Saṅkarṣaṇa, reflecting the ideal that martial capability should be cultivated responsibly within the guru–śiṣya framework.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Bhīma (Vṛkodara), a Pāṇḍava, regularly learned the techniques of sword-fighting, mace-fighting, and chariot warfare from Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma).