Shloka 22
Puṣkara-Tīrtha-Māhātmya and the Phala of Pilgrimage
Nārada–Yudhiṣṭhira; Pulastya–Bhīṣma Transmission
तमृते फाल्गुनं वीर॑ न लभे काम्यके धृतिम् । पश्यामि च दिश: सर्वास्तिमिरेणावृता इव । जिन महाबाहु अर्जुनका आश्रय लेकर पाज्चाल और कुरुवंशके वीर युद्धके लिये उद्यत देवताओंकी सेनाका सामना करनेसे भी भयभीत नहीं होते हैं, जिन महात्माके बाहुबलके भरोसे हम सब लोग युद्धमें अपने शत्रुओंको पराजित और इस पृथ्वीका राज्य अपने अधिकारमें आया हुआ मानते हैं, उन वीरवर अर्जुनके बिना हमें काम्यकवनमें धैर्य नहीं प्राप्त हो रहा है। मुझे सारी दिशाएँ अन्धकारसे आच्छन्न-सी दिखायी देती हैं | २०-२१३ || ततोअब्रवीत् साश्रुकण्ठो नकुल: पाण्डुनन्दन:,भीमसेनकी यह बात सुनकर पाण्डुनन्दन नकुल अश्रुगदूगदकण्ठसे बोले--
tam ṛte phālgunaṃ vīra na labhe kāmyake dhṛtim | paśyāmi ca diśaḥ sarvāḥ timireṇāvṛtā iva |
Bhima said: “Without Phalguna (Arjuna), O hero, I cannot find steadiness of mind here in the Kāmyaka forest. Indeed, I see all the directions as though covered in darkness.” In ethical and narrative terms, Bhima’s words express how deeply the brothers’ confidence and sense of rightful purpose in their struggle depend on Arjuna’s presence and prowess; his absence feels like a moral and strategic eclipse.
भीम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dhṛti (steadfast composure) as essential for righteous endurance, and shows how the absence of a key ally can darken one’s inner horizon. It also underscores the ethical dimension of solidarity: strength is not only individual valor but the shared confidence that sustains a just cause during exile and uncertainty.
During the Pandavas’ forest exile in Kāmyaka, Bhima laments that without Arjuna (Phalguna) he cannot maintain courage or calm. Arjuna’s absence makes Bhima feel as though the world itself has turned dark, signaling both emotional distress and strategic anxiety about facing future conflicts without their foremost archer.