Shloka 5
Jatugṛha-dāhānantara-vṛttāntaḥ
Aftermath of the Lac House Fire
त॑ दृष्टवा सूतपुत्रो5यमिति संचिन्त्य पाण्डव: । भीमसेनस्तदा वाक्यमतब्रवीत् प्रहसन्निव,अधिरथको देखकर पाण्डुकुमार भीमसेन यह समझ गये कि कर्ण सूतपुत्र है; फिर तो वे हँसते हुए-से बोले--
taṁ dṛṣṭvā sūtaputro ’yam iti sañcintya pāṇḍavaḥ | bhīmasenas tadā vākyam athābravīt prahasann iva ||
Ao vê-lo, Bhīmasena, o Pāṇḍava, refletiu: “Este é o filho de um sūta (auriga).” Então, como se estivesse rindo, proferiu palavras—preparando o terreno para uma provocação cortante baseada em status, na qual identidade social e honra são empunhadas como armas na rivalidade que se desenrola.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds an ethical tension: judging a person by birth or social label and using that as a weapon in speech. It foreshadows how adharma can enter through ridicule and status-based contempt, even before open conflict begins.
Bhīma sees Karṇa and, concluding that he is a sūta’s son, begins to speak with a mocking demeanor. The line sets up Bhīma’s forthcoming remark and signals the escalation of hostility through derision.