Mahabharata 1.151.4 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 151, Shloka 4

बक-राक्षसस्य आह्वानम् तथा वृक्षयुद्धम्

Summons of Baka and the Tree-Weapon Engagement

Devanagari script

स रोषित इव क्ुद्धो वने भज्जन्‌ महाद्रुमान्‌ । त्रिप्रखुतमद: शुष्मी षष्टिवर्षी मतड़राट्‌

Transliteration

sa roṣita iva kruddho vane bhajjan mahādrumān | triprakrutamadaḥ śuṣmī ṣaṣṭivarṣī mataṅgarāṭ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Như chúa tể loài voi—sáu mươi tuổi, hùng mạnh, mồ hôi rut ba ngả tuôn trào—tựa kẻ đang phẫn nộ mà xông vào rừng bẻ gãy những đại thụ, Bhīmasena rực sáng cũng tiến qua khu rừng ấy, quật ngã các cây lớn trên đường đi.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रोषितः: angered
• रोषितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोषित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• क्रुद्धः: enraged
• क्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• भञ्जन्: breaking
• भञ्जन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भञ्ज्
• Form: Present (participle), Parasmaipada (active), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाद्रुमान्: great trees
• महाद्रुमान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाद्रुम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• mataṅgarāṭ (lord of elephants)
• forest (vana)
• great trees (mahādruma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a vivid simile to highlight that immense power, when driven by anger, becomes destructive; ethical excellence (dharma) requires that strength be governed by restraint and right purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Bhīma moving forward through a forest, knocking down large trees, likening him to an enraged, musth elephant that breaks great trees as it charges through the woods.