Shloka 21
मेरी बात सुन ले। यह कुन्तीपुत्र भीमसेन यदि युद्धमें तेरी छाती फाड़कर तेरा रक्त न पीये तो इसे पुण्यलोकोंकी प्राप्ति न हो
mama vākyam śṛṇu | ayaṃ kuntīputro bhīmasenaḥ yadi yuddhe tava vakṣaḥ vidārya tava rudhiraṃ na pibet, tarhi asya puṇyalokānāṃ prāptiḥ na bhavet |
«ស្តាប់ពាក្យខ្ញុំ។ ប្រសិនបើខ្ញុំ—ភីមសេន កូនរបស់កុនទី—មិនបំបែកទ្រូងអ្នកក្នុងសង្គ្រាម ហើយមិនផឹកឈាមអ្នកទេ នោះសូមឲ្យខ្ញុំមិនបានទៅដល់លោកសុចរិត (លោកបុណ្យ) ឡើយ»។
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the binding power of a warrior’s vow: Bhīma ties his own spiritual merit (attainment of puṇyalokas) to the execution of a promised act of retribution, showing how honor and accountability are enforced through self-imposed ethical stakes—even when the vow itself is violent.
Bhīma addresses an enemy and declares a terrifying oath: unless he kills the opponent in battle in a particularly brutal manner (rending the chest and drinking blood), he considers himself unworthy of attaining meritorious worlds. It functions as a public pledge of vengeance and resolve.