Shloka 38
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
कृत्स्नेयं पृथिवी देवी जरासंधेन धीमता । मागधेन्द्रेण बलिना वशे कृत्वा प्रतापिता,परम बुद्धिमान् और बलवान् महाबली मगधराज जरासंधने यह सारी पृथिवी अपने वशमें करके इसे पीड़ा देना प्रारम्भ किया था, परंतु भीमसेनने भगवान् श्रीकृष्णके साथ उसके अन्तः:पुरमें जाकर उस महापराक्रमी नरेशको मार गिराया
kṛtsneyam pṛthivī devī jarāsandhena dhīmatā | māgadhendreṇa balinā vaśe kṛtvā pratāpitā | parama-buddhimān ca balavān mahābalī magadharāja jarāsandhena iyaṃ sarvā pṛthivī sva-vaśaṃ nītvā pīḍayituṃ prārabdhā | kintu bhīmasenena bhagavatā śrīkṛṣṇena sārdham antaḥpure gatvā sa mahāparākramī nareśo nihataḥ |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Seluruh bumi, seolah-olah seorang dewi, telah ditundukkan di bawah kuasa Jarāsandha—penguasa Magadha yang bijaksana lagi perkasa—dan dibuat menderita oleh penindasannya. Namun Bhīmasena, ditemani Tuhan Śrī Kṛṣṇa, memasuki istana dalamnya dan menumbangkan raja yang amat gagah itu. Petikan ini memperlihatkan pertentangan antara penguasaan zalim dan penyingkiran penindas dengan kebenaran, bahawa kekuatan hanya sah apabila berpihak kepada dharma.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and intelligence become ethically meaningful only when aligned with dharma. Jarāsandha’s might is portrayed as oppressive domination of the world, while Bhīma’s force—guided by Kṛṣṇa—functions as the removal of a harmful tyrant, implying that strength is justified when it protects the wider order and relieves suffering.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra recalls how Jarāsandha, the powerful king of Magadha, had subjugated and tormented the earth (the world’s kingdoms). He then notes that Bhīma, together with Kṛṣṇa, entered Jarāsandha’s inner palace and killed him, ending his oppressive rule.