Shloka 21
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
मैंने बाल्यकालमें ही व्यासजीके मुखसे पहले इस पाण्डुपुत्रके अद्भुत रूप और पराक्रमका यथार्थ वर्णन सुना था
mayā bālyakāle eva vyāsajī-mukhāt pūrvaṁ asya pāṇḍuputrasya adbhuta-rūpaṁ parākramaṁ ca yathārtha-varṇanaṁ śrutam āsīt
Dhṛtarāṣṭra disse: “Ainda na minha infância, eu já ouvira da boca de Vyāsa um relato verdadeiro sobre este filho de Pāṇḍu — sua forma maravilhosa e seu valor heroico.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of reliable testimony: a king recalls having received truthful knowledge from a sage early on, implying that foreknown virtue and prowess should guide judgment and restraint rather than denial or partiality.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects that he had long ago heard from Vyāsa an accurate description of a Pāṇḍava’s extraordinary appearance and valor, framing the present crisis as something whose signs were known in advance.