अवाप्नुवन्त वेदोक्तान् संस्कारान् पाण्डवास् तदा ॥
अवर्धन्त च भोगांस् ते भुञ्जानाः पितृवेश्मनि ॥
धार्तराष्ट्रैश् च सहिताः क्रीडन्तः पितृवेश्मनि ॥
बालक्रीडासु सर्वासु विशिष्टाः पाण्डवाभवन् ॥
जवे लक्ष्याभिहरणे भोज्ये पांसुविकर्षणे ॥
धार्तराष्ट्रान् भीमसेनः सर्वान् स परिमर्दति ॥
हर्षाद् एतान् क्रीडमानान् गृह्य काकनिलीयने ॥
शिरःसु च निगृह्यैनान् योधयाम् आस पाण्डवः ॥
शतम् एकोत्तरं तेषां कुमाराणां महौजसाम् ॥
एक एव विमृद्नाति नातिकृच्छ्राद् वृकोदरः ॥
पादेषु च निगृह्यैनान् विनिहत्य बलाद् बली ॥
चकर्ष क्रोशतो भूमौ घृष्टजानुशिरोक्षिकान् ॥
दश बालाञ् जले क्रीडन् भुजाभ्यां परिगृह्य सः ॥
आस्ते स्म सलिले मग्नः प्रमृतांश् च विमुञ्चति ॥
avāpnuvanta vedoktān saṃskārān pāṇḍavās tadā ||
avardhanta ca bhogāṃs te bhuñjānāḥ pitṛveśmani ||
dhārtarāṣṭraiś ca sahitāḥ krīḍantaḥ pitṛveśmani ||
bālakrīḍāsu sarvāsu viśiṣṭāḥ pāṇḍavābhavan ||
jave lakṣyābhiharaṇe bhojye pāṃsuvikarṣaṇe ||
dhārtarāṣṭrān bhīmasenaḥ sarvān sa parimardati ||
harṣād etān krīḍamānān gṛhya kākanilīyane ||
śiraḥsu ca nigṛhyainān yodhayām āsa pāṇḍavaḥ ||
śatam ekottaraṃ teṣāṃ kumārāṇāṃ mahaujasām ||
eka eva vimṛdnāti nātikṛcchrād vṛkodaraḥ ||
pādeṣu ca nigṛhyainān vinihatya balād balī ||
cakarṣa krośato bhūmau ghṛṣṭajānuśirokṣikān ||
daśa bālāñ jale krīḍan bhujābhyāṃ parigṛhya saḥ ||
āste sma salile magnaḥ pramṛtāṃś ca vimuñcati ||
'The Pandavas then received the sacraments prescribed by the Veda and grew up, enjoying comforts in the house of their forefathers. Playing with the sons of Dhritarashtra, the Pandavas proved superior in all children's games: in running, in hitting targets, in eating, in wrestling, Bhimasena overcame all the sons of Dhritarashtra. Out of high spirits, when they were playing blind man's buff, seizing them and holding them by the head, he knocked their heads together. A hundred and one of those mighty princes, Vrikodara alone overcame without much difficulty; and seizing them by the feet, throwing them down by force, the mighty one dragged them, screaming, along the ground, scraping their knees, heads, and the skin about their eyes. Ten boys at a time, playing in the water, he would gather in his arms and remain submerged, releasing them half-dead.'
16166a31244e · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:41:49 PM UTC
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Here Bhima's unbreakable strength shows itself in childhood play. Telling is the fact that he alone overcomes the whole hundred Kauravas: the gift of the wind-god -- bodily might -- already manifests in boyhood. Telling, too, is that these games are rough and painful for the Kauravas (he drags them, ducks them), yet, as the scripture will explain further on, this is done "out of boyishness, not from malice." It can be seen here that even a wholesome strength, in unreasoning childhood, can wound others without ill will; and it is understandable that the weaker would take offense. So the scripture prepares the coming turn: Bhima's innocent childhood superiority, wounding the Kauravas' pride, becomes an occasion (though not the cause) of Duryodhana's malice -- for the true cause lies in his own corrupted heart.