Shloka 14
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय संवादः — उपप्लव्यगमनाज्ञा
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Command to Proceed to Upaplavya
गदाभूतां नास्ति समो5त्र भीमा- द्धस्त्यारोहो नास्ति समक्ष तस्य । रथे<र्जुनादाहुरहीनमेनं बाद्वोर्बलेनायुतनागवीर्यम्,गदाधारियोंमें इस भूतलपर भीमसेनके समान दूसरा कोई नहीं है और न उनके-जैसा कोई हाथीसवार ही है। रथमें बैठकर युद्ध करनेकी कलामें भी वे अर्जुनसे कम नहीं बताये जाते हैं और बाहुबलमें तो वे दस हजार हाथियोंके समान शक्तिशाली हैं स्त्रियों वृद्धा भारतानां जनन्यो महानस्यो दासभार्याश्चव सूत । वध्व: पुत्रा भागिनेया भगिन्यो दौहित्रा वा कच्चिदप्यव्यलीका: सूत! भरतवंशियोंकी माताएँ, बड़ी-बूढ़ी स्त्रियाँ, रसोई बनानेवाली सेविकाएँ, दासियाँ, बहुएँ, पुत्र, भानजे, बहिनें और पुत्रियोंके पुत्र--ये सभी निष्कपट-भावसे रहते हैं न?
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: gadābhūtāṁ nāsti samo ’tra bhīmād; hastyāroho nāsti samakṣa tasya | rathe ’rjunād āhur ahīnam enaṁ; bāhvor balenāyutanāgavīryam || striyo vṛddhā bhāratānāṁ jananyo mahānasyyo dāsabhāryāś ca vai sūta | vadhvaḥ putrā bhāgineyā bhaginyo dauhitrā vā kaccid apy avyālīkāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “On this earth there is none equal to Bhīma among the mace-bearers; nor is there any elephant-rider who can stand before him. In chariot-war too, they say he is not inferior to Arjuna; and in the strength of his arms he has the might of ten thousand elephants. And, O Sūta, are the women of the Bhāratas—mothers, elderly ladies, kitchen-attendants, slave-wives, daughters-in-law, sons, nephews, sisters, and grandsons through daughters—are all of them living without deceit and in good faith?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage juxtaposes two dharmic concerns: (1) recognizing and accurately praising martial excellence without exaggeration, and (2) grounding political-military narratives in the welfare and moral health of the household and community—asking whether vulnerable and dependent members live sincerely and safely.
Vaiśampāyana reports a description of Bhīma’s unmatched prowess—supreme among mace-fighters, formidable even to elephant-warriors, not inferior to Arjuna in chariot-combat, and possessing immense arm-strength—followed by a conventional ‘kaccit’ inquiry addressed to Sūta about the well-being and honest conduct of the Bhārata household members (women, elders, servants, and kin).