तं दृष्ट्वा सूतपुत्रो ऽयम् इति निश्चित्य पाण्डवः ॥
भीमसेनस् तदा वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् प्रहसन्न् इव ॥
न त्वम् अर्हसि पार्थेन सूतपुत्र रणे वधम् ॥
कुलस्य सदृशस् तूर्णं प्रतोदो गृह्यतां त्वया ॥
अङ्गराज्यं च नार्हस् त्वम् उपभोक्तुं नराधम ॥
श्वा हुताशसमीपस्थं पुरोडाशम् इवाध्वरे ॥
taṃ dṛṣṭvā sūtaputro 'yam iti niścitya pāṇḍavaḥ ||
bhīmasenas tadā vākyam abravīt prahasann iva ||
na tvam arhasi pārthena sūtaputra raṇe vadham ||
kulasya sadṛśas tūrṇaṃ pratodo gṛhyatāṃ tvayā ||
aṅgarājyaṃ ca nārhas tvam upabhoktuṃ narādhama ||
śvā hutāśasamīpasthaṃ puroḍāśam ivādhvare ||
Seeing him, and deciding 'this is the son of a charioteer', Bhimasena then spoke, as though mocking: 'You are not worthy, son of a suta, of death at Partha's hands in battle; take up quickly the whip befitting your lineage! And you are not worthy to enjoy the kingdom of Anga, lowest of men — as a dog is not worthy of the sacrificial cake set near the fire at a sacrifice.'
2d960f1d6657 · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:53:32 PM UTC
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Here the noble Bhima stains himself with cruel contempt of caste. It is telling that this taunt about low birth comes from a Pandava — from the righteous side: scripture does not hide that even the worthy fall into the sin of pride and scorn. Here too is a warning: partiality and pride of birth can darken even a good man, and in this moment the reader's sympathy turns toward the humiliated Karna, not toward the mocking Bhima. It is telling that Bhima judges only by rank, not knowing that before him stands his own brother, the son of Kunti: the mockery of the 'charioteer's son' falls, unknowingly, on his own blood. Thus scripture reveals a bitter truth: where contempt for birth reigns, even the righteous commit wrong, and brothers wound brothers without knowing it.