Shloka 1

प्रावृट्-शरत्-वर्णनम् — Description of the Monsoon and Autumn; Sarasvatī in the Pāṇḍavas’ Exile

Devanagari script

हि आय ० (0) है 2 अष्टस प्तरत्याधेकशततमो< ध्याय: महाबली भीमसेनका हिंसक पशुओंको मारना और अजगरद्वारा पकड़ा जाना जनमेजय उवाच कथं नागायुतप्राणो भीमो भीमपराक्रम: भयमाहारयत तीव्र तस्मादजगरान्मुने,जनमेजयने पूछा--मुने! भयानक पराक्रमी भीमसेनमें ते दस हजार हाथियोंका बल थ। फिर उन्हें उस अजगरसे इतना तीव्र भय कैसे प्राप्त हुअ?

Transliteration

Janamejaya uvāca | kathaṁ nāgāyuta-prāṇo bhīmo bhīma-parākramaḥ | bhayam āhārayat tīvraṁ tasmād ajagarān mune ||

Translation

Janamejaya said: “O sage, how did Bhīma—of dreadful prowess and possessing the strength of ten thousand elephants—come to feel such intense fear because of that python?”

Word by Word

• {'katham': 'how?, in what manner?', 'nāgāyuta-prāṇaḥ': 'having the strength/vital force of ten thousand elephants (nāga = elephant

• ayuta = ten thousand)', 'bhīmaḥ': 'Bhīma (the Pāṇḍava hero)

• also ‘terrible, formidable’', 'bhīma-parākramaḥ': 'of terrible valor

• possessing fearsome prowess', 'bhayam': 'fear', 'āhārayat': 'obtained, experienced, came to have (lit. ‘brought to himself’)', 'tīvram': 'intense, severe', 'tasmāt': 'from that, because of that', 'ajagarāt': 'from the ajagara, the great python/boa', 'mune': 'O sage (address to Vaiśaṁpāyana)'}

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Ajagara (python/boa)
• Muni (the sage narrator, Vaiśaṁpāyana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even extraordinary physical power does not guarantee invulnerability; circumstances (and the unseen workings of destiny and dharma) can humble the mightiest, prompting reflection rather than pride.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janamejaya asks the sage to explain how Bhīma, famed for immense strength, nevertheless became intensely afraid when confronted and seized by a great python (ajagara), setting up the episode’s explanation.