Shloka 24

Droṇa’s Ācārya-Dakṣiṇā: Capture of Drupada and Division of Pāñcāla (द्रोण-आचार्यदक्षिणा)

Devanagari script

एवं स धारतराष्ट्रां क्ष स्पर्धभानो वृकोदर: । अप्रियेडतिष्ठदत्यन्तं बाल्यान्न द्रोहचेतसा,इसी प्रकार भीमसेन भी धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रोंसे स्पर्धा रखते हुए उनके अत्यन्त अप्रिय कार्योमें ही लगे रहते थे। परंतु उनके मनमें कौरवोंके प्रति द्वेष नहीं था, वे बाल-स्वभावके कारण ही वैसा करते थे

Transliteration

evaṃ sa dhārtarāṣṭrāṃś ca spardhamāno vṛkodaraḥ | apriyeṣv atiṣṭhad atyantaṃ bālyān na drohacetasā ||

Translation

अशा रीतीने वृकोदर (भीम) धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रांशी स्पर्धा करीत त्यांच्या दृष्टीने अत्यंत अप्रिय अशा कृत्यांतच हट्टाने गुंतलेला असे; पण कौरवांविषयी त्याच्या मनात द्वेष नव्हता—तो बालस्वभावामुळेच तसे करी, द्रोहबुद्धीने नव्हे.

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

सःhe

धार्तराष्ट्रान्the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Kauravas)

चand

स्पर्धमानःcompeting, rivaling

वृकोदरःVṛkodara (Bhīma)

अप्रियेषुin (their) unpleasant (acts/things)

अतिष्ठत्stood, remained, engaged

अत्यन्तम्excessively, very much

बाल्यात्from childishness, due to boyish nature

नnot

द्रोहचेतसाwith a mind of malice/treachery

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vṛkodara (Bhīma)

Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas, sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse distinguishes outwardly harsh or provocative behavior from inner intention: ethical judgment should consider whether an act arises from malice (droha) or from immaturity (bālya).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Bhīma’s boyhood conduct among the Kauravas: he often engaged in rivalry and did things they disliked, but this was not driven by hatred—rather, it was the impulsiveness of youth.