Shloka 21
Bhīmasena’s Discourse on Kāla, Resolve, and the Feasibility of Ajñātavāsa (भीमसेनस्य कालोपदेशः)
वैशम्पायन उवाच एतद् वचनमाज्ञाय भीमसेनो>त्यमर्षण: । बभूव विमनास्त्रस्तो न चैवोवाच किंचन,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! युधिष्ठदिरका यह वचन सुनकर अत्यन्त क्रोधी भीमसेन उदास और शंकायुक्त हो गये। फिर उनके मुँहसे कोई बात नहीं निकली
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: etad vacanam ājñāya Bhīmaseno 'tyamarṣaṇaḥ | babhūva vimanās trasto na caivovāca kiñcana ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having understood those words, Bhīmasena—fierce in his intolerance of insult—became downcast and inwardly shaken with apprehension; and he did not speak anything at all. The verse highlights how even a mighty warrior, when confronted with a grave counsel or troubling news, may be ethically restrained into silence rather than rushing into rash speech.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores ethical restraint: intense anger or shock need not immediately become speech or action. Silence here signals inner conflict and the discipline to pause, even for a powerful warrior.
After hearing and grasping a certain statement, Bhīma—normally quick to anger—becomes dejected and alarmed, and he remains silent, speaking nothing.