Shloka 96

Arjuna’s Account of Tapas and the Kirāta Test; Revelation of Maheśvara and the Grant of the Pāśupata-Astra

Devanagari script

निर्भयो भीमसेनो<यं तं शाधि पुरुषर्षभ । सब प्रकारकी (सांसारिक) सामर्थ्यके इच्छुक मनुष्योंका निश्चय पापपूर्ण होता है। पुरुषरत्न युधिष्ठिर! ये भीमसेन धर्मको नहीं जानते, इन्हें अपने बलका बड़ा अभिमान है इनकी बुद्धि अभी बालकोंकी-सी है तथा ये अत्यन्त क्रोधी और निर्भय हैं, अतः तुम इन्हें उपदेश देकर काबूमें रखो

Transliteration

nirbhayo bhīmaseno 'yaṃ taṃ śādhi puruṣarṣabha | sarva-prakārakī (sāṃsārika) sāmarthyecchukānāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ niścayaḥ pāpapūrṇo bhavati | puruṣaratna yudhiṣṭhira! eṣa bhīmaseno dharmaṃ na jānāti, asya balasya mahān abhimānaḥ | asya buddhiḥ adhunā bālakānām iva, sa ca atyanta-krodhī nirbhayaś ca | ataḥ tvaṃ enam upadiśya vaśe kuru ||

Translation

ਧਨਦ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—ਇਹ ਭੀਮਸੇਨ ਨਿਡਰ ਹੈ; ਹੇ ਪੁਰੁਸ਼-ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ, ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਦੇ ਕੇ ਕਾਬੂ ਵਿੱਚ ਰੱਖੋ। ਜੋ ਲੋਕ ਹਰ ਕਿਸਮ ਦੀ ਸੰਸਾਰਕ ਸਮਰੱਥਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਸੰਕਲਪ ਅਕਸਰ ਪਾਪ ਵੱਲ ਝੁਕਦਾ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਪੁਰੁਸ਼-ਰਤਨ ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ! ਭੀਮ ਧਰਮ ਨੂੰ ਠੀਕ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾਣਦਾ; ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਆਪਣੇ ਬਲ ਦਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਅਹੰਕਾਰ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੀ ਸੋਚ ਅਜੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਵਰਗੀ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਉਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੀ ਤੇ ਨਿਡਰ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਲਈ ਉਪਦੇਸ਼ ਦੇ ਕੇ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਵਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਰੱਖੋ।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'nirbhayaḥ', 'definition': 'fearless

• without apprehension (often implying rashness when unchecked)'}, {'term': 'bhīmasenaḥ', 'definition': 'Bhīma, son of Vāyu

• the strong Pāṇḍava'}, {'term': 'śādhi (√śās)', 'definition': 'instruct, discipline, restrain

• govern by counsel and rule'}, {'term': 'puruṣarṣabha', 'definition': 'bull among men

• an epithet for a foremost hero/king'}, {'term': 'sāṃsārika', 'definition': 'worldly

• pertaining to saṃsāra and temporal life'}, {'term': 'sāmarthya', 'definition': 'power, capability, might

• capacity to accomplish'}, {'term': 'icchuka', 'definition': 'desirous of

• one who seeks'}, {'term': 'niścayaḥ', 'definition': 'resolve, determination, settled intention'}, {'term': 'pāpapūrṇaḥ', 'definition': 'filled with sin

• morally tainted'}, {'term': 'dharmaṃ na jānāti', 'definition': 'does not know/understand dharma

• lacks discernment of right conduct'}, {'term': 'abhimānaḥ', 'definition': 'pride, self-conceit

• inflated sense of self'}, {'term': 'bālakavat', 'definition': 'like a child

• immature in judgment'}, {'term': 'atyanta-krodhī', 'definition': 'excessively wrathful

• prone to anger'}, {'term': 'upadiśya', 'definition': 'having instructed

• by giving counsel/teaching'}, {'term': 'vaśe kuru', 'definition': 'bring under control

Speaker

धनद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhanada (Kubera)
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unchecked desire for worldly power and the pride that follows can corrupt one’s resolve; therefore, strength must be governed by dharma, counsel, and self-restraint—especially in a leader or warrior prone to anger.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhanada addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, warning him about Bhīma’s fearless, anger-driven temperament and urging Yudhiṣṭhira to instruct and restrain Bhīma so that his strength does not turn into adharmic action.