Shloka 5

Damayantī’s Proposal of a Witnessed Choice; Nala Reports to the Lokapālas

Adhyāya 53

Devanagari script

तथैवासीद्‌ू विदर्भेषु भीमो भीमपराक्रम: । शूर: सर्वगुणैर्युक्त: प्रजाकाम: स चाप्रज:

Transliteration

tathaivāsīd vidarbheṣu bhīmo bhīmaparākramaḥ | śūraḥ sarvaguṇair yuktaḥ prajākāmaḥ sa cāprajaḥ ||

Translation

「同じくヴィダルバにも、ビーマという者がいた。恐るべき武威を備え、勇敢であらゆる徳を具えていた。だが子を望みながら、なお子宝に恵まれなかった。」

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (भू/अस्)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, singular

• विदर्भेषु: in (the land of) the Vidarbhas
• विदर्भेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदर्भ
• Form: masculine, locative, plural

• भीमः: Bhima
• भीमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• भीमपराक्रमः: of terrible valor
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम-पराक्रम
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• शूरः: heroic, brave
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूर
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• सर्वगुणैः: with all virtues
• सर्वगुणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-गुण
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• युक्तः: endowed, possessed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (योजने) → युक्त
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• प्रजाकामः: desirous of offspring
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रजा-काम
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (स)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अप्रजः: childless
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-प्रज
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

बृहृदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• Bhīma (king/person in Vidarbha)
• Vidarbha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a virtuous and heroic ruler may face the painful lack of progeny; the verse highlights the human vulnerability of kings and the ethical weight placed on lineage and responsibility toward the future.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva introduces the situation in Vidarbha by describing a valiant, virtuous man named Bhīma who desires children but remains childless, setting the background for the ensuing story.