Shloka 13

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

ग्रसमानमनीकानि नरवारणवाजिनाम्‌ । पश्यामीवाग्रतो भीम॑ क्रोधमूर्च्छितमाहवे

Transliteration

grasamānam anīkāni naravāraṇavājinām | paśyāmīva agrato bhīmaṁ krodhamūrcchitam āhave ||

Translation

ଧୃତରାଷ୍ଟ୍ର କହିଲେ— ମୋତେ ଲାଗୁଛି ଯେନେ ମୋ ସାମ୍ନାରେ ଭୀମ ଦିଶୁଛି: ଯୁଦ୍ଧମଧ୍ୟରେ କ୍ରୋଧେ ମୂର୍ଛିତ ହୋଇ ମନୁଷ୍ୟ, ହାତୀ ଓ ଘୋଡ଼ା ସେନାର ବ୍ୟୂହଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ଗ୍ରସି ଚାଲିଛି, ଏବଂ ସମଗ୍ର ସେନାକୁ କାଳର ଗ୍ରାସ କରୁଛି।

Word by Word

• ग्रसमानम्: devouring, swallowing
• ग्रसमानम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनीकानि: armies, divisions (of troops)
• अनीकानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• नर: of men
• नर: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वारण: of elephants
• वारण: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वाजिनाम्: of horses
• वाजिनाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पश्यामि: I see
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), First, Singular, परस्मैपद

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अग्रतः: in front, before (me)
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः

• भीमम्: Bhima
• भीमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्रोध: with anger, by anger
• क्रोध: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• मूर्च्छितम्: frenzied, swooned/overpowered
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्च्छित (मूर्च्छ् धातु से क्त)
• Form: क्त (भूतकृदन्त), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīma
• human warriors (nara)
• war-elephants (vāraṇa)
• war-horses (vājin)
• armies/battle-formations (anīkāni)
• battle (āhava)
• Death (implied by ‘prey of Death’/kāla in the sense)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how unchecked anger (krodha) can overwhelm discernment and turn a warrior into an instrument of destruction, suggesting an ethical warning: even within kṣatriya duty, wrath-driven violence accelerates ruin and invites the shadow of Kāla (Death/time).

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra expresses a vivid, fearful premonition: he imagines Bhīma in the coming war, maddened by anger, tearing through the enemy’s battle-formations—men, elephants, and horses—so relentlessly that the armies seem to be swallowed by Death.