Shloka 2

भीमसेनस्य आत्मबलप्रशंसा — Bhīmasena’s Assertion of Strength

Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 74

Devanagari script

गिरेरिव लघुत्वं तच्छीतत्वमिव पावके । मत्वा रामानुज: शौरि: शार्ज्र्धन्वा वृकोदरम्‌

Transliteration

girer iva laghutvaṁ tacchītatvam iva pāvake | matvā rāmānujaḥ śauriḥ śārṅgadhanvā vṛkodaram |

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Услышав из уст Бхимасены те небывалые слова — мягкие, смягчённые состраданием, — могучерукий Господь Шри Кришна улыбнулся. Будто гора стала лёгкой, или огонь сделался прохладным: так удивительно в Бхиме пробудилась смиренность. Поняв это, Шаури, младший брат Рамы (Баларамы), держащий лук Шарнга, обратился к Врикодаре (Бхиме), сидевшему рядом и таявшему от жалости; и речами вновь возжёг в нём решимость — как ветер раздувает пламя.

Word by Word

• गिरेः: of a mountain
• गिरेः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• लघुत्वम्: lightness
• लघुत्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघुत्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शीतत्वम्: coolness
• शीतत्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीतत्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• पावके: in fire
• पावके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मत्वा: having thought/considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• रामानुजः: Rama's younger brother (Lakshmana); (here) an epithet of Krishna
• रामानुजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामानुज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शौरिः: Shouri (Krishna)
• शौरिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौरि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शार्ङ्गधन्वा: the bearer of the Sharnga bow (Krishna)
• शार्ङ्गधन्वा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्ङ्गधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वृकोदरम्: Bhima (wolf-bellied),
• वृकोदरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृकोदर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīmasena (Vṛkodara)
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Śauri, Rāmānuja, Śārṅgadhanvā)
• Rāma (Balarāma)
• Śārṅga (bow)
• Mountain (giri)
• Fire (pāvaka)
• Wind (vāyu, implied by the simile in the prose context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even noble compassion must be balanced with steadfastness in dharma: Kṛṣṇa recognizes Bhīma’s softened heart as extraordinary, yet he prepares to reawaken Bhīma’s warrior resolve so that duty is not abandoned out of misplaced pity.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīma speaks unusually gentle, pity-filled words, Kṛṣṇa smiles at this unexpected humility (likened to a mountain becoming light or fire becoming cool). Understanding the moment, Kṛṣṇa then speaks to Bhīma to stir him back toward determined action, as wind intensifies a flame.