Shloka 18
Bhīma–Hanūmān Dialogue on Yugas (युगवर्णनम्)
पुच्छे प्रगृह्दा तरसा हीनवीर्यपराक्रमम् । सालोक्यमन्तकस्यैनं नयाम्यद्येह वानरम्,और भीतर-ही-भीतर यह संकल्प किया कि “आज मैं इस बल और पराक्रमसे शून्य वानरको वेगपूर्वक इसकी पूँछ पकड़कर यमराजके लोकमें भेज देता हूँ
pucche pragṛhītā tarasā hīna-vīrya-parākramam | sālokyam antakasya enam nayāmi adya iha vānarām ||
Vaiśampāyana nói: Nắm chặt đuôi con khỉ ấy thật nhanh, ông thầm quyết trong lòng: “Ngay hôm nay, ngay tại đây, ta sẽ tống con khỉ này—kẻ không còn sức lực và dũng khí—đến cõi của Antaka (Diêm Vương), cho nó cùng chung một thế giới với Tử Thần.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how anger and contempt can drive a person toward disproportionate, lethal punishment. Ethically, it warns that abandoning restraint (dama) and discernment (viveka) leads to adharma—treating another being as powerless and therefore expendable.
A speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) describes someone forcefully grabbing a monkey by its tail and forming an inner resolve to send it to Yama’s realm—i.e., to kill it—because it is seen as lacking strength and valor.