Shloka 15
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
संजयाचक्ष्व मे शूरं भीमसेनममर्षणम् । अतिलाभं तु मन्ये5हं यत् तेन रिपुधातिना
sañjayācakṣva me śūraṃ bhīmasenam amarṣaṇam | atilābhaṃ tu manye 'haṃ yat tena ripudhātinā ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Wahai Sañjaya, ceritakan kepadaku tentang wira Bhīmasena, yang tidak bertolak ansur dan tidak pernah mengalah. Aku menganggapnya suatu keuntungan yang luar biasa bahawa dia telah dibunuh oleh pemusnah musuh itu.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how attachment to victory and hostility can distort moral judgment: Dhṛtarāṣṭra frames the fall of a formidable opponent as “great gain,” revealing a political, adversarial mindset rather than a dharmic concern for justice, kinship, or the human cost of violence.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to describe Bhīma, emphasizing his fierce, unyielding nature, and remarks that it is a major advantage that such a powerful enemy has been killed by an enemy-slayer—showing his anxious interest in the strength and fate of key warriors.