Shloka 16
भीमसेनस्य आत्मबलप्रशंसा — Bhīmasena’s Assertion of Strength
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 74
अहो पार्थ निमित्तानि विपरीतानि पश्यसि । स्वप्रान्ते जागरान्ते च तस्मात् प्रशममिच्छसि
aho pārtha nimittāni viparītāni paśyasi | svaprānte jāgarānte ca tasmāt praśamam icchasi, kuntīnandana ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana disse: “Ai, ó Pārtha, tu estás vendo presságios funestos que anunciam desfechos contrários e adversos—tanto ao fim do sono quanto ao fim da vigília. Por isso, ó filho de Kuntī, expressas o desejo de apaziguamento e paz.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how perceived omens and inner apprehension can turn the mind toward praśama (calming/peace). Ethically, it frames the impulse to seek peace not as weakness but as a response to foreboding signs and the gravity of impending conflict.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses Pārtha (Arjuna), noting that he is witnessing adverse portents both in sleep-related and waking states. Because of these unsettling indications, Arjuna is inclined to seek pacification and peace amid the tense lead-up to war.