Shloka 22
ततो भीमस्य शब्देन भीता: सर्पा गुहाशया:,तदनन्तर एक दिनकी बात है, भीमसेनके सिंहनादसे भयभीत हो गुफाओंमें रहनेवाले सारे सर्प बड़े वेगसे भागने लगे और भीमसेन धीरे-धीरे उन्हींका पीछा करने लगे। श्रेष्ठ देवताओंके समान कान्तिमान् महाबली भीमसेनने आगे जाकर एक विशालकाय अजगर देखा, जो रोंगटे खड़े कर देनेवाला था। वह अपने शरीरसे एक (विशाल) कन्दराको घेरकर पर्वतके एक दुर्गम स्थानमें रहता था
tato bhīmasya śabdena bhītāḥ sarpā guhāśayāḥ |
Then, terrified by Bhīma’s thunderous cry, the serpents that dwelt in the caves fled in great haste. Bhīmasena, moving steadily onward, began to follow after them. Radiant like the foremost of the gods and mighty in strength, he soon came upon a colossal python—so dreadful that it made one’s hair stand on end—coiled around a vast cavern and residing in a hard-to-reach part of the mountain. The episode frames Bhīma’s power as a force that drives hidden dangers into the open, preparing the ground for a moral encounter rather than mere violence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and courage are not ends in themselves; they often serve to reveal concealed threats and initiate a deeper moral test. Bhīma’s roar drives hidden serpents out, setting the stage for discernment and right action rather than impulsive aggression.
Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that Bhīma’s loud cry frightens the cave-dwelling serpents, who flee quickly. Bhīma follows them and soon encounters a terrifying, enormous python occupying a cavern in a difficult mountain region.