Shloka 22

Saṃvaraṇa–Tapatī Vivāhaḥ (The Marriage of Saṃvaraṇa and Tapatī) — Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva 163

Devanagari script

भीमसेनो<डपि तद्‌ रक्ष: परिरभ्य महाभुज: । विस्फुरन्तं महाबाहुं विचकर्ष बलादू बली

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

bhīmaseno 'pi tad rakṣaḥ parirabhya mahābhujaḥ |

visphurantaṃ mahābāhuṃ vicakarṣa balād balī ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Могучерукий Бхимасена тоже крепко прижал того ракшаса к своей груди обеими руками и, одной лишь силой, потащил туда-сюда великорукого демона, извивавшегося в судорогах.

Word by Word

• भीमसेनः: Bhimasena
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• तत्: that (one/that thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• रक्षः: the demon (rakshas)
• रक्षः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परिरभ्य: having embraced/clasped
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-रभ्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• महाभुजः: he of great arms
• महाभुजः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभुज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विस्फुरन्तम्: struggling/twitching
• विस्फुरन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-स्फुर्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाबाहुम्: the mighty-armed (one)
• महाबाहुम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विचकर्ष: dragged/pulled
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-कृष्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• बलात्: by force/forcibly
• बलात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• बली: the strong one
• बली: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• rākṣasa (Baka/Bakāsura, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power is ethically meaningful when used to restrain and neutralize harm. Bhīma’s strength is portrayed as protective and disciplined—an instrument of dharma rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīma seizes the rākṣasa in a crushing embrace, holding him chest-to-chest and dragging him about by force while the demon struggles to break free—an intensification of the combat where Bhīma gains physical control.