Shloka 21
Chapter 49: Sañjaya’s Enumeration of the Pāṇḍava Coalition (पाण्डवसैन्यसमागम-वर्णनम्)
निः:सृत्य जतुगेहाद् वै हिडिम्बात् पुरुषादकात् | यश्चलैषामभवद् द्वीप: कुन्तीपुत्रो वृकोदर:
niḥsṛtya jatugṛhād vai hiḍimbāt puruṣādakāt | yaś cālaiṣām abhavad dvīpaḥ kuntīputro vṛkodaraḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Setelah terlepas dari rumah damar (jatugṛha), dan juga dari Hiḍimba—rākṣasa pemakan manusia—putera Kuntī, Vṛkodara (Bhīma), menjadi seolah-olah sebuah ‘pulau’ bagi mereka: tempat berlindung yang aman dan sandaran penyelamat tatkala bahaya menghempas.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal of protective strength used in service of others: Bhīma’s power is portrayed not merely as force, but as a refuge—like an island—for those endangered. Courage and capability attain moral worth when they safeguard the vulnerable.
Sañjaya recalls earlier crises faced by the Pāṇḍavas: their escape from the lac-house plot and their deliverance from the man-eating rākṣasa Hiḍimba. In both dangers, Bhīma (Vṛkodara), Kuntī’s son, functioned as their chief protector and means of survival.