Shloka 21

अथ मोदागिरौ चैव राजानं बलवत्तरम्‌ | पाण्डवो बाहुवीर्येण निजघान महामृधे,वहाँ जरासंधकुमार सहदेवको सान्त्वना देकर उसे कर देनेकी शर्तपर उसी राज्यपर प्रतिष्ठित कर दिया और उन सबके साथ बलवान भीमने कर्णपर चढ़ाई की। पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ भीमने पृथ्वीको कम्पित-सी करते हुए चतुरंगिणी सेना साथ ले शत्रुघाती कर्णके साथ युद्ध छेड़ दिया। भारत! उस युद्धमें कर्णको परास्त करके अपने वशमें कर लेनेके पश्चात्‌ बलवान्‌ भीमने पर्वतीय राजाओंपर विजय प्राप्त की। तदनन्तर पाण्डुनन्दन भीमसेनने मोदागिरिके अत्यन्त बलिष्ठ राजाको अपनी भुजाओंके बलसे महासमरमें मार गिराया

atha modāgirau caiva rājānaṃ balavattaram | pāṇḍavo bāhuvīryeṇa nijaghāna mahāmṛdhe ||

Vaiśampāyana nói: Rồi tại Modāgiri, vị Pāṇḍava (Bhīma) đã dùng sức mạnh đôi tay mình mà quật ngã một vị vua cực kỳ cường tráng trong đại chiến.

अथthen
अथ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ
मोदागिरौon/at Modāgiri (mountain)
मोदागिरौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमोदागिरि
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
राजानम्the king
राजानम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
बलवत्तरम्stronger/very strong
बलवत्तरम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootबलवत्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular, Comparative
पाण्डवःthe Pāṇḍava (Bhīma, contextually)
पाण्डवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपाण्डव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
बाहुवीर्येणby the strength of (his) arms
बाहुवीर्येण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootबाहुवीर्य
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
निजघानslew/struck down
निजघान:
TypeVerb
Rootहन्
FormPerfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
महामृधेin the great battle
महामृधे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमहामृध
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
P
Pāṇḍava (Bhīma implied)
M
Modāgiri
A
a powerful king (unnamed)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of decisive action and personal valor in securing political aims. At the same time, it implicitly points to the ethical tension of conquest: order and sovereignty are established through force, making dharma in statecraft inseparable from restraint, responsibility, and the consequences of violence.

During the Pāṇḍavas’ campaign of subjugation and tribute-collection associated with Yudhiṣṭhira’s imperial project, Bhīma reaches Modāgiri and, in a major battle, overpowers and kills/defeats a particularly strong king by sheer arm-strength.