Shloka 14
पाण्डवानां वनप्रस्थानवर्णनम् / The Pāṇḍavas’ Departure for the Forest
Vidura’s Report and Portents
पितृभि: सह सालोक्यं मा सम गच्छेद् वृकोदर: । यद्येतमूरुं गदया न भिन्द्यां ते महाहवे
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
pitṛbhiḥ saha sālokyaṃ mā sama gacched vṛkodaraḥ |
yady etam ūruṃ gadayā na bhindyāṃ te mahāhave |
duryodhana |
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “Huwag nawa makamtan ni Vṛkodara (Bhīma) ang kapalarang mapalad na tulad ng sa kanyang mga ninuno, kung sa dakilang digmaan ay hindi ko mababasag ang hita mong ito sa aking pamalo, O Duryodhana.” Isa itong mabagsik na panata ng makatarungang paghihiganti—itinataling dangal ng nagsasalita sa isang tiyak na gawa sa digmaan, at ang kaparusahan sa kabiguan ay ang pagkawala ng biyayang minana sa mga ninuno.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the binding force of a warrior’s vow: personal honor is tied to action, and failure is framed as forfeiting spiritual/ancestral merit. It also shows how dharma in epic narrative can be expressed through severe, retaliatory commitments rather than calm moral instruction.
In the Sabha Parva context of escalating hostility, Bhīma (Vṛkodara) declares a grim oath directed at Duryodhana: in the future great war he will break Duryodhana’s thigh with a mace, and he stakes his own posthumous blessed attainment on fulfilling that vow.