Shloka 4
Saṃvaraṇa–Tapatī Vivāhaḥ (The Marriage of Saṃvaraṇa and Tapatī) — Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva 163
वैशम्पायन उवाच (युधिष्ठिरेण सम्मन्त्रय ब्राह्मुणार्थमरिंदम । कुन्ती प्रविश्य तान् सर्वान् सान्त्ववयामास भारत ।।) ततो रात्र्यां व्यतीतायामन्नमादाय पाण्डव: । भीमसेनो ययौ तत्र यत्रासौ पुरुषादक:ः,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! ब्राह्मण (की रक्षा)-के निमित्त युधिष्ठिरसे इस प्रकार सलाह करके कुन्तीदेवीने भीतर जाकर समस्त ब्राह्मण-परिवारको सान्त्वना दी। तदनन्तर रात बीतनेपर पाण्डुनन्दन भीमसेन भोजनसामग्री लेकर उस स्थानपर गये, जहाँ वह नरभक्षी राक्षस रहता था। बक राक्षसके वनमें पहुँचकर महाबली पाण्डुकुमार भीमसेन उसके लिये लाये हुए अन्नको स्वयं खाते हुए राक्षसका नाम ले-लेकर उसे पुकारने लगे
vaiśampāyana uvāca | (yudhiṣṭhireṇa sammantrya brāhmaṇārtham ariṃdama | kuntī praviśya tān sarvān sāntvayāmāsa bhārata ||) tato rātryāṃ vyatītāyām annam ādāya pāṇḍavaḥ | bhīmaseno yayau tatra yatrāsau puruṣādakaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Bhārata (Janamejaya), after consulting with Yudhiṣṭhira for the sake of protecting the Brahmins, Kuntī went inside and consoled the entire Brahmin household. Then, when the night had passed, the Pāṇḍava Bhīmasena took the food provisions and went to the place where that man-eating demon dwelt.” The passage highlights a dharmic response to crisis: deliberation, compassion toward the vulnerable, and courageous action undertaken to remove a threat to the community.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma in action: leaders should deliberate wisely, comfort those in fear, and then take decisive, proportionate action to protect society—especially the vulnerable—without abandoning compassion.
After consulting Yudhiṣṭhira about how to safeguard the Brahmins threatened by a man-eating rākṣasa, Kuntī reassures the Brahmin household. At dawn, Bhīma takes the prepared food offering and goes to the demon’s dwelling, initiating the confrontation that will remove the threat.