Shloka 29
देवसत्रे मृत्युनिरोधः, पूर्वेन्द्राणां मानुषावतरणम्, द्रौपदी-वरकथनम्
Suspension of Death at the Devasatra; Former Indras’ Human Descent; Draupadī’s Boon Etiology
तत्राश्नर्य भीमसेनश्वकार पुरुषर्षभः । यच्छल्यं पातितं भूमौ नावधीद् बलिनं बली,कुरुश्रेष्ठ बलवान् भीमसेनने एक आश्चर्यकी बात यह की कि महाबली शल्यको पृथ्वीपर पटककर भी मार नहीं डाला
tatrāśnary bhīmasenaśvakāra puruṣarṣabhaḥ | yacchalyaṃ pātitaṃ bhūmau nāvadhīd balinaṃ balī ||
Vaiśampāyana said: There, Bhīmasena—the bull among men—performed a deed that was truly astonishing: though he had hurled the mighty Śalya down upon the earth, that powerful hero did not kill him. The moment highlights restraint in the midst of strength, suggesting that true prowess may include the capacity to spare, not merely to strike.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that real strength is not only the ability to overpower an opponent but also the self-control to refrain from killing when one has the advantage—an ethical restraint aligned with dharma.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Bhīma forcefully throws the mighty Śalya to the ground, yet—despite having the power to finish him—Bhīma does not kill him, making the act noteworthy and surprising.