Shloka 23
मैव सम सुकृताललोकान् गच्छेत् पार्थों वृकोदर: । यदि वक्षो हि ते भित्त्वा न पिबेच्छोणितं रणे
bhīmasena uvāca |
maiva sama-sukṛtāl lokān gacchet pārtho vṛkodaraḥ |
yadi vakṣo hi te bhittvā na pibec choṇitaṃ raṇe ||
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
tasya rājā siṃha-gateḥ sa-khelaṃ duryodhano bhīmasenasya harṣād gatiṃ sva-gatyānucakāra |
mandho nirgacchatāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ sabhāyāḥ ||
Bhīmasena berkata: “Moga aku, Vṛkodara, dan Arjuna tidak mencapai alam kebajikan yang sama, jika—setelah membelah dadamu di medan perang—aku tidak meminum darahmu.” Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Janamejaya, ketika para Pāṇḍava meninggalkan balairung, raja Duryodhana yang dungu, dipenuhi kegirangan, mengejek dengan meniru langkah Bhīmasena yang gagah seperti singa, menyamakan langkahnya dengan langkah sendiri.”
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how unchecked pride and mockery deepen enmity and propel adharma: Duryodhana’s taunt adds humiliation to injustice, while Bhīma’s fierce vow shows how anger can harden into violent resolve—ethically warning that insults and wrath both escalate conflict.
After the events in the assembly, the Pāṇḍavas depart. Bhīma utters a terrifying battlefield vow against Duryodhana (to split his chest and drink his blood). Immediately after, Duryodhana, elated and foolish, imitates Bhīma’s lion-like gait to ridicule him as they leave the sabhā.