Shloka 9
Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 187: Drupada’s Inquiry and the Dharma Debate on Draupadī’s Marriage
केचिदाहुर्युवा श्रीमानू नागराजकरोपम: । पीनस्कन्धोरुबाहुश्व धैर्येण हिमवानिव,कुछ ब्राह्मणोंने कहा--'यह सुन्दर युवक नागराज ऐरावतके शुण्ड-दण्डके समान हृष्ट- पुष्ट दिखायी देता है। इसके कंधे सुपुष्ट और भुजाएँ बड़ी-बड़ी हैं। यह धैर्यमें हिमालयके समान जान पड़ता है
ke cid āhur yuvā śrīmān ū nāgarāja-karopamaḥ | pīna-skandhoru-bāhuś ca dhairyeṇa himavān iva ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Some Brahmins remarked, “This handsome, illustrious youth appears as robust as the trunk-staff of Airāvata, king of elephants. His shoulders are broad and well-knit, his arms long and powerful, and in steadfast courage he seems like the Himālaya itself.” The description frames physical strength as meaningful when joined to inner firmness (dhairya), a virtue admired by the learned.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ideal of excellence: outward power and beauty are praised most when paired with inner steadiness (dhairya). The learned admire not mere strength, but strength anchored in self-control and courage.
Vaiśampāyana reports how some Brahmins describe a remarkable young man, using grand similes—Airāvata’s mighty trunk and the immovable Himālaya—to convey his robust physique and unshakable fortitude.