Shloka 38
Bhīmasena–Hanūmān Saṃvāda: The Tail Test and the Divine Path
उन्मूलयन् महावृक्षान् पोथयंस्तरसा बली । लतावललीश्व वेगेन विकर्षन् पाण्डुनन्दन: । उपर्युपरि शैलाग्रमारुरुक्षुरिव द्विप:,द्रौपदीका अनुरोधपूर्ण वचन ही उनका पाथेय (मार्गका कलेवा) था, वे उसीको लेकर शीघ्रतापूर्वक चले जा रहे थे। वायुके समान वेगशाली वृकोदर पर्वकालमें होनेवाले उत्पात (भूकम्प और बिजली गिरने)-के समान अपने पैरोंकी धमकसे पृथ्वीको कम्पित और हाथियोंके समूहोंको आतंकित करते हुए चलने लगे। वे महाबली कुन्तीकुमार सिंहों, व्याप्रों और मृगोंको कुचलते तथा अपने वेगसे बड़े-बड़े वृक्षोंको जड़से उखाड़ते और विनाश करते हुए आगे बढ़ने लगे। पाण्डुनन्दन भीम अपने वेगसे लताओं और बल्लरियोंको खींचे लिये जाते थे। वे ऊपर-ऊपर जाते हुए ऐसे प्रतीत होते थे, मानो कोई गजराज पर्वतकी सबसे ऊँची चोटीपर चढ़ना चाहता हो
unmūlayan mahāvṛkṣān pothayaṁstarasā balī | latāvallīśca vegena vikarṣan pāṇḍunandanaḥ | uparyupari śailāgrāmārurukṣuriva dvipaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Mighty Bhīma, the son of Pāṇḍu, surged forward with impetuous force—uprooting great trees and shattering them as he went. With his speed he dragged along creepers and climbing vines, and he seemed like a lordly elephant striving to mount the highest peak of a mountain. The passage underscores Bhīma’s overwhelming physical power, presented not as cruelty for its own sake but as the fierce, protective energy of a warrior moving with single-minded resolve in service of his companions’ cause.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights focused resolve (niścaya) and protective strength: power becomes meaningful when directed toward a purposeful path and the safeguarding of one’s companions, rather than mere display.
Vaiśampāyana describes Bhīma moving rapidly through the forest terrain, uprooting and smashing large trees and dragging vines in his wake, likened to an elephant striving to climb a mountain peak—an image of unstoppable momentum.