Shloka 2
प्रावृट्-शरत्-वर्णनम् — Description of the Monsoon and Autumn; Sarasvatī in the Pāṇḍavas’ Exile
पौलस्त्यं धनदं युद्धे य आह्वयति दर्पित: नलिन्यां कदनं कृत्वा निहन्ता यक्षरक्षसाम्,जो बलके घमंडमें आकर पुलस्त्यनन्दन कुबेरको भी युद्धके लिये ललकारते थे, जिन्होंने कुबेरकी पुष्करिणीके तटपर कितने ही यक्षों तथा राक्षसोंका संहार कर डाला था, उन्हीं शत्रुसूदन भीमसेनको आप भयभीत (और विपत्तिग्रस्त) बताते हैं। अतः मैं इस प्रसंगको विस्तारसे सुनना चाहता हूँ। इसके लिये मेरे मनमें बड़ा कौतूहल हो रहा है
paulastyaṃ dhanadaṃ yuddhe ya āhvayati darpitaḥ | nalinyāṃ kadanaṃ kṛtvā nihantā yakṣa-rakṣasām ||
Janamejaya said: “How can you describe Bhīmasena—who, swollen with pride, once challenged Paulastya’s son Dhanada (Kubera) to battle, and who, after wreaking slaughter at the lotus-pond, became the killer of Yakṣas and Rākṣasas—as fearful and overwhelmed by calamity? I wish to hear this episode in detail, for my curiosity about it is great.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension between heroic prowess and the instability of pride: even one famed for defeating formidable beings can later be described as fearful or distressed, prompting reflection on how circumstances and inner states (like arrogance or vulnerability) affect conduct and reputation.
Janamejaya expresses astonishment that Bhīma—known for challenging Kubera and slaughtering Yakṣas and Rākṣasas at the lotus-pond—could be portrayed as frightened and afflicted. He asks to hear the full story in detail.