Shloka 21

बक-राक्षसस्य आह्वानम् तथा वृक्षयुद्धम्

Summons of Baka and the Tree-Weapon Engagement

Devanagari script

स सुप्तां मातरं दृष्टवा क्षातृश्च वसुधातले । भृशं शोकपरीतात्मा विललाप वृकोदर:,माता और भाइयोंको धरतीपर सोया देख भीमसेन मन-ही-मन अत्यन्त शोकसे संतप्त हो गये और इस प्रकार विलाप करने लगे---

Transliteration

sa suptāṃ mātaraṃ dṛṣṭvā kṣātr̥ś ca vasudhātale | bhṛśaṃ śokaparītātmā vilalāpa vṛkodaraḥ ||

Translation

తల్లి మరియు సోదరులు నేలపై నిద్రిస్తున్నట్లు చూసి, భీముడు (వృకోదరుడు) తీవ్రమైన శోకంలో మునిగిపోయాడు. శోకాక్రాంత హృదయంతో అతడు ఈ విధంగా విలపించసాగాడు.

Word by Word

सःhe

सुप्ताम्sleeping

मातरम्mother

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

क्षातॄन्brothers

चand

वसुधा-तलेon the ground (earth-surface)

भृशम्exceedingly

शोक-परीत-आत्माwhose self was overcome by grief

विललापlamented

वृकोदरःVṛkodara (Bhīma)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vṛkodara (Bhīma)

mother (Kuntī, by context)

brothers (Pāṇḍavas, by context)

earth/ground (vasudhā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic sensitivity of a strong warrior: true strength includes compassion and responsibility. Bhīma’s grief arises from seeing his mother and brothers vulnerable, underscoring the ethical impulse to protect family and the helpless rather than remain emotionally indifferent.

What is happening in the narrative?

In this moment of Ādi Parva, Bhīma (Vṛkodara) sees his mother and brothers lying asleep on the ground. Overcome with intense sorrow and anxiety, he begins to lament—setting up the emotional and moral tension of the scene and foreshadowing his resolve to act.