Shloka 22

Adhyaya 11 — Draupadī’s Grief, Demand for Justice, and Bhīma’s Departure

Devanagari script

भीमसेनमथागत्य परम वाक्यमब्रवीत्‌ | त्रातुमहसि मां भीम क्षत्रधर्ममनुस्मरन्‌

Transliteration

bhīmasenam athāgatya parama-vākyam abravīt | trātum arhasi māṁ bhīma kṣatra-dharmam anusmaran |

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവൾ ഭീമസേനന്റെ അടുത്തേക്ക് ചെന്നു ഈ പരമവചനം പറഞ്ഞു— “ഭീമാ! ക്ഷത്രിയധർമ്മം സ്മരിച്ച് നീ എന്നെ രക്ഷിക്കണം—എന്റെ ജീവൻ കാക്കുക.”

Word by Word

• भीमसेनम्: Bhimasena
• भीमसेनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• आगत्य: having come
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• परम्: supreme, excellent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वाक्यम्: speech, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्रातुम्: to protect, to save
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive)

• अर्हसि: you are able/fit; you ought
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह्
• Form: Present (लट्), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Common, Accusative, Singular

• भीम: O Bhima
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्षत्रधर्मम्: the duty of a kshatriya
• क्षत्रधर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनुस्मरन्: remembering, keeping in mind
• अनुस्मरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-स्मृ
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds kṣatriya-dharma as a moral obligation: a warrior’s strength is meant for protection—especially of those seeking refuge—so ethical duty, not mere power, should guide action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) approaches Bhīma and urges him to remember the warrior code and save her life, framing her request as a rightful claim upon his dharma.