Shloka 16

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 188 — Draupadī-Vivāha Dharma-Vicāra

Debate on the Legitimacy of One Wife for Five

Devanagari script

ततस्तु भीमो<द्भुतभीमकर्मा महाबलो वज़्समानसार: । उत्पाट्य दोर्भ्या ट्रुममेकवीरो निष्पत्रयामास यथा गजेन्द्र:,तब तो वज्रके समान शक्तिशाली तथा हक त एवं भयानक कर्म करनेवाले अद्वितीय वीर महाबली भीमसेनने गजराजकी भाँति दोनों हाथोंसे एक वृक्षको उखाड़ लिया और उसके पत्ते झाड़ दिये

Transliteration

tatas tu bhīmo 'dbhuta-bhīma-karmā mahā-balo vajra-samāna-sāraḥ | utpāṭya dorbhyāṃ tarum eka-vīro niṣpatrayāmāsa yathā gajendraḥ ||

Translation

అప్పుడు అద్భుతమూ భయంకరమూ అయిన కార్యాలకు ప్రసిద్ధుడు, వజ్రసమాన బలమున్న మహాబలుడు భీముడు ఒంటరిగా రెండు భుజాలతో ఒక వృక్షాన్ని పెకలించి, గజరాజువలె దాని ఆకులను ఊడదీసెను।

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

तुbut/indeed (emphasis)

भीमःBhima

अद्भुतभीमकर्माwhose deeds were wondrous and terrible

महाबलःvery strong, of great strength

वज्रसमानसारःhaving strength/essence like a thunderbolt

उत्पाट्यhaving uprooted / tearing up

दोर्भ्याम्with (his) two arms

द्रुमम्a tree

एकवीरःthe peerless/unique hero

निष्पत्रयामासstripped of leaves / made leafless

यथाas, like

गजेन्द्रःthe lord of elephants (a great elephant)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīma

tree (taru)

elephant-lord (gajendra)

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 that immense power is ethically meaningful when directed with purpose and discipline—strength becomes a protective, resolute force rather than uncontrolled aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Bhīma demonstrating extraordinary might: he uproots a tree with his arms and strips it of leaves, likening his action to a powerful elephant.