Shloka 17
Tilottamā, Sunda–Upasunda, and the Pāṇḍava Samaya (Ādi Parva 204)
भीमसेनो महाबाहुर्नागायुतबलो महान् | कथं सम युधि शक््येत विजेतुममरैरपि,दस हजार हाथियोंके समान महान् बलवान् महाबाहु भीमसेनको युद्धमें देवता भी कैसे जीत सकते हैं?
bhīmaseno mahābāhur nāgāyutabalō mahān | kathaṃ sa yudhi śakyeta vijetum amarair api ||
Wika ni Vidura: “Si Bhīmasena, ang bayani na may makapangyarihang mga bisig, ay napakalakas—katumbas ng sampung libong elepante. Paano siya magagapi sa digmaan, kahit ng mga diyos man?”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores prudent judgment in conflict: one should realistically assess strength and consequences before provoking war. Vidura’s praise functions as a warning—reckless hostility toward a vastly powerful opponent is ethically and politically unsound.
Vidura is speaking about Bhīma’s extraordinary might, describing him as equal to ten thousand elephants and rhetorically asking how anyone—even the gods—could defeat him in battle. The statement serves to emphasize Bhīma’s formidable presence and to caution against antagonizing him.