Shloka 20
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 141: Bhīma–Hiḍimba Confrontation and Protective Discourse
प्राणाधिकं भीमसेनं कृतविद्यं धनंजयम् । दुर्योधनो लक्षयित्वा पर्यतप्यत दुर्मना:,भीमसेनको सबसे अधिक बलवान् और अर्जुनको अस्त्र-विद्यामें सबसे श्रेष्ठ देखकर दुर्योधन सदा संतप्त होता रहता था। उसके मनमें बड़ा दुःख था
prāṇādhikaṃ bhīmasenaṃ kṛtavidyaṃ dhanañjayam | duryodhano lakṣayitvā paryatapyata durmanāḥ ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Nang makita niyang si Bhīmasena ay humihigit sa lahat sa lakas at sigla ng buhay, at si Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) ay ganap na bihasa at nangunguna sa agham ng mga sandata, si Duryodhana—na dumilim ang loob—ay palaging pinahihirapan sa kalooban, nilalamon ng dalamhati at inggit sa kanilang kahusayan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how envy and comparison corrode judgment: instead of honoring merit, Duryodhana becomes inwardly scorched by others’ excellence, showing an ethical warning that unchecked jealousy becomes a root-cause of adharma and future violence.
Vaiśampāyana describes Duryodhana’s reaction upon recognizing Bhīma’s extraordinary strength and Arjuna’s mastery of weapons. This recognition does not inspire him; it makes him persistently distressed and ill-minded, foreshadowing his hostility toward the Pāṇḍavas.