Mahabharata 1.151.2 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 151, Shloka 2

बक-राक्षसस्य आह्वानम् तथा वृक्षयुद्धम्

Summons of Baka and the Tree-Weapon Engagement

Devanagari script

जड्घावातो ववौ चास्य शुचिशुक्रागमे यथा । आवर्जितलतावक्ष मार्ग चक्रे महाबल:

Transliteration

jaḍghāvāto vavau cāsya śuciśukrāgame yathā | āvarjitalatāvṛkṣa-mārgaṃ cakre mahābalaḥ ||

Translation

จากแรงเคลื่อนไหวของหน้าแข้งของเขา ลมกรรโชกก็พัดขึ้นดุจลมแรงในรอยต่อเดือนเชษฐะกับอาษาฑะ ภีมผู้มีกำลังมหาศาลไปทางใด ก็เหยียบย่ำเถาวัลย์และต้นไม้ให้ราบ กลายเป็นทางเดินไปทางนั้น

Word by Word

• {'jaḍghāvātaḥ': 'a violent/impetuous wind

• a strong gust (metaphor for the force generated by movement)', 'vavau': 'blew (from √vā, ‘to blow’)', 'cāsya': 'and of him / for him', 'yathā': 'just as', 'śuci-śukra-āgame': 'at the coming/approach of the bright months (interpreted here as the seasonal junction around Jyeṣṭha–Āṣāḍha)', 'āvarjita': 'turned aside, swept away, trampled down', 'latā': 'creeper, vine', 'vṛkṣa': 'tree', 'mārgaṃ': 'path, track', 'cakre': 'made, created (from √kṛ)', 'mahābalaḥ': 'one of great strength (epithet

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīma
• Jyeṣṭha (month)
• Āṣāḍha (month)
• wind
• creepers (latā)
• trees (vṛkṣa)
• path (mārga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the epic ideal of overwhelming physical prowess harnessed for purposeful movement; it also uses nature-simile to suggest that great power leaves visible consequences, inviting reflection on how strength should be directed responsibly within dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Bhīma moving with such force that it seems like a storm-wind is generated by his stride; as he advances, he crushes creepers and trees, creating a clear path through the terrain.