Shloka 63
Adhyāya 33: Rauhiṇeya (Balarāma) is welcomed and takes his seat to witness the gadā-engagement
ऋते वृकोदरात् पार्थात् स च नातिकृतश्रम: । “मैं कुन्तीपुत्र भीमसेनके सिवा, दूसरे किसीको ऐसा नहीं देखता, जो गदायुद्धमें दुर्योधनका सामना कर सके, परंतु भीमसेनने भी अधिक परिश्रम नहीं किया है
ṛte vṛkodarāt pārthāt sa ca nātikṛtaśramaḥ |
Sañjaya said: “Except for Vṛkodara Bhīmasena, the son of Pṛthā (Kuntī), I see no one who can truly stand against Duryodhana in a mace-duel. And even Bhīma has not yet been greatly taxed by exertion.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores discernment in assessing true capability in dharmic warfare: not everyone is fit to meet a specialist in his own domain. It also highlights measured strength—Bhīma’s readiness and restraint—suggesting that decisive action should come from the truly competent, not from reckless imitation.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra his observation of the battlefield situation: Duryodhana’s prowess in mace-fighting is such that only Bhīma appears capable of facing him effectively, and Bhīma remains comparatively unwearied—foreshadowing the climactic duel.