Shloka 66

Devanagari script

अतिवादापविद्धस्तु वक्ष्यामि बलमात्मन: । यद्यपि स्वयं अपनी प्रशंसा करना सर्वथा नीच पुरुषोंका ही कार्य है, तथापि आपने जो मेरे सम्मानके विपरीत बातें कहकर मेरा तिरस्कार किया है, उससे पीड़ित होकर मैं अपने बलका बखान करता हूँ

Transliteration

ativādāpaviddhas tu vakṣyāmi balam ātmanaḥ |

Translation

भीमसेन म्हणाला—तुझ्या अतिशयोक्त व अपमानकारक वचनांनी जखमी होऊन आता मी माझ्या बलाचे वर्णन करीन. जरी स्वतःची प्रशंसा करणे नीचांचे काम मानले जाते, तरी माझ्या सन्मानाविरुद्ध तू जे बोललास त्याने मला वेदना झाली; म्हणून त्या तिरस्कारामुळे विवश होऊन मी माझी शक्ती सांगतो.

Word by Word

अतिवादby excessive/overbearing speech (taunt)

अपविद्धःstruck/afflicted

तुbut/indeed

वक्ष्यामिI shall speak/tell

बलम्strength

आत्मनःof myself

Speaker

भीमसेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīmasena

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?

Speech has ethical weight: excessive or insulting words can provoke even the disciplined into self-assertion. Bhīma acknowledges that self-praise is normally blameworthy, yet frames his response as compelled by an attack on honor—highlighting the tension between humility and the duty to defend one’s dignity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the pre-war negotiations and confrontations of the Udyoga Parva, Bhīma responds to a verbal affront. Feeling dishonored by the other party’s harsh or overbearing words, he announces that he will speak of his own strength, signaling rising hostility and the hardening of positions before the war.