Shloka 19

Bhīmasya paruṣa-vākyaṃ

Bhīma’s Harsh Speech Heard by Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī

Devanagari script

गते भगवति व्यासे राजा पाण्डुसुतस्तदा । प्रोवाच पितरं वृद्ध मन्दं मन्दमिवानत:

Transliteration

gate bhagavati vyāse rājā pāṇḍusutastadā | provāca pitaraṃ vṛddha mandaṃ mandamivānataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Khi bậc tôn kính Vyāsa đã rời đi, nhà vua—con của Pāṇḍu—liền thưa với người cha già. Cúi đầu khiêm cung, vua nói khẽ và dịu dàng, như thể hạ giọng, giữ trọn lòng kính và sự tiết chế.

Word by Word

गतेwhen (he) had gone

भगवतिin/when the venerable one

व्यासेVyāsa

राजाthe king

पाण्डु-सुतःson of Pāṇḍu

तदाthen

प्रोवाचsaid, spoke

पितरम्to the father / the father

वृद्धम्aged, old

मन्दम्slowly, gently

इवas if, like

आनतःbowed down, having bowed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vyāsa

Yudhiṣṭhira (Pāṇḍusuta, the king)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (the aged father)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic conduct through humility and reverence: even a victorious king restrains his speech, bows, and addresses an elder gently, showing that ethical authority is expressed through self-control and respect.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the sage Vyāsa leaves, Yudhiṣṭhira turns to his aged uncle-father Dhṛtarāṣṭra and speaks to him in a subdued, gentle manner, bowing as he addresses him.