Shloka 18

प्रावृट्-शरत्-वर्णनम् — Description of the Monsoon and Autumn; Sarasvatī in the Pāṇḍavas’ Exile

Devanagari script

चिरसम्बद्धदर्पस्तु भीमसेनो वने तदा गजेन्द्राश्न महासत्त्वा मृगेन्द्राश्ष महाबला:

Transliteration

cirasambaddhadarpas tu bhīmaseno vane tadā | gajendrāś ca mahāsattvā mṛgendrāś ca mahābalāḥ ||

Translation

وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا— اُس وقت جنگل میں، دیر سے قابو میں رکھا ہوا غرور رکھنے والے بھیمسین نے عظیم سَتْو والے گجَیندر اور بےحد طاقتور مِرگَیندر دیکھے—ایسے جنہیں اپنے ہی تَیج سے بھی زیر کرنا دشوار تھا۔

Word by Word

• चिरसम्बद्धदर्पः: whose pride had long been bound/held (long-cherished pride)
• चिरसम्बद्धदर्पः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिर-सम्बद्ध-दर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• भीमसेनः: Bhimasena (Bhima)
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तदा: then/at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• गजेन्द्राश्नः: elephant-lord-eater (lion; lit. eater of lordly elephants)
• गजेन्द्राश्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजेन्द्राश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महासत्त्वः: of great might/being a great creature
• महासत्त्वः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महासत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मृगेन्द्राश्नः: lion-eater (a stronger beast; lit. eater of the lord of beasts)
• मृगेन्द्राश्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगेन्द्राश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाबलः: very strong
• महाबलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• forest (vana)
• gajendra (great elephants)
• mṛgendra (lions / lords of beasts)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power is not merely physical might; it is also the capacity to restrain pride and act with self-control when confronted by formidable forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Bhīma in the forest at a moment when he faces powerful wild creatures—great elephants and lions—setting a tone of trial and confrontation during the Pāṇḍavas’ exile.