Shloka 58
Droṇa’s Ācārya-Dakṣiṇā: Capture of Drupada and Division of Pāñcāla (द्रोण-आचार्यदक्षिणा)
दंष्टाश्न देष्टिणां तेषां मर्मस्वपि निपातिता: । त्वचं नैवास्य बिभिदु: सारत्वात् पृथुवक्षस:
daṃṣṭāśna-deṣṭināṃ teṣāṃ marmasv api nipātitāḥ | tvacaṃ naivāsya bibhiduḥ sāratvāt pṛthuvakṣasaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Walaupun ular-ular itu menancapkan taring mereka hingga ke titik-titik hayatnya, mereka tetap tidak mampu menembusi kulitnya; kerana Bhīmasena, yang berdada bidang dan bertubuh teguh, memiliki kulit sekeras besi. Peristiwa ini menegaskan bahawa kekuatan dan ketahanan semula jadi dapat menggagalkan niat jahat, dan bahaya yang ditujukan kepada orang benar boleh gagal apabila dilindungi oleh daya hidup dan jasa kebajikan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Hostile intent does not always succeed: when a person possesses strong innate resilience (and, by implication, protective merit), even targeted harm may fail. The passage highlights steadfastness and the limits of malice.
Serpents bite Bhīmasena, even aiming at his vital points, but their fangs cannot penetrate his skin because he is broad-chested and exceptionally tough—his body is described as iron-hard.