भ्रातुर् वचनम् आज्ञाय त्वरमाणेव राक्षसी ॥
जगाम तत्र यत्र स्म पाण्डवा भरतर्षभ ॥
ददर्श तत्र गत्वा सा पाण्डवान् पृथया सह ॥
शयानान् भीमसेनं च जाग्रतं त्व् अपराजितम् ॥
दृष्ट्वैव भीमसेनं सा शालस्कन्धम् इवोद्गतम् ॥
राक्षसी कामयाम् आस रूपेणाप्रतिमं भुवि ॥
अयं श्यामो महाबाहुः सिंहस्कन्धो महाद्युतिः ॥
कम्बुग्रीवः पुष्कराक्षो भर्ता युक्तो भवेन् मम ॥
bhrātur vacanam ājñāya tvaramāṇeva rākṣasī ||
jagāma tatra yatra sma pāṇḍavā bharatarṣabha ||
dadarśa tatra gatvā sā pāṇḍavān pṛthayā saha ||
śayānān bhīmasenaṃ ca jāgrataṃ tv aparājitam ||
dṛṣṭvaiva bhīmasenaṃ sā śālaskandham ivodgatam ||
rākṣasī kāmayām āsa rūpeṇāpratimaṃ bhuvi ||
ayaṃ śyāmo mahābāhuḥ siṃhaskandho mahādyutiḥ ||
kambugrīvaḥ puṣkarākṣo bhartā yukto bhaven mama ||
'Having heeded her brother's word, the rakshasi went, as if in haste, to where the Pandavas were, O bull of the Bharata race; and going there she saw the Pandavas asleep with Pritha, and the wakeful, unconquered Bhimasena. Having seen Bhimasena, tall as a sala trunk, the rakshasi desired him, unmatched in beauty upon the earth: "This dark one, mighty-armed, lion-shouldered, greatly radiant, with a conch-shell neck and lotus eyes — he would be a fitting husband for me."'
a99e6e5040f4 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:03:09 PM UTC
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Here an unexpected turn takes place: she who was sent to kill is captivated by love. Telling is how the mere sight of noble Bhima transforms a predatory heart: in place of killing, love is born in her. Here is the power of attraction to the sublime: contact with the righteous and the beautiful can turn even a lower nature from evil to good. Telling too is that scripture does not disdain even a rakshasi capable of such a change: in the Vedic vision no one is hopelessly cast out, and in every being a spark smolders that can be kindled by an encounter with what is good. Thus scripture prepares a wondrous thing: the demoness sent to kill will become the faithful wife and mother of a hero — transformed by the power of love for one who is worthy.