Mahabharata · 1.181.24–25
॥
Devanāgarī
ततो भीमः समुत्क्षिप्य बाहुभ्यां शल्यम् आहवे ॥
न्यवधीद् बलिनां श्रेष्ठो जहसुर् ब्राह्मणास् ततः ॥
तत्राश्चर्यं भीमसेनश् चकार पुरुषर्षभः ॥
यच् छल्यं पतितं भूमौ नाहनद् बलिनं बली ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tato bhīmaḥ samutkṣipya bāhubhyāṃ śalyam āhave ||
nyavadhīd balināṃ śreṣṭho jahasur brāhmaṇās tataḥ ||
tatrāścaryaṃ bhīmasenaś cakāra puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||
yac chalyaṃ patitaṃ bhūmau nāhanad balinaṃ balī ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः भीमः समुत्क्षिप्य बाहुभ्यां शल्यम् आहवेtataḥ bhīmaḥ samutkṣipya bāhubhyāṃ śalyam āhavethen Bhima, lifting Shalya with his arms in battle,
न्यवधीत् बलिनाम् श्रेष्ठः जहसुः ब्राह्मणाः ततःnyavadhīt balinām śreṣṭhaḥ jahasuḥ brāhmaṇāḥ tataḥthrew him down, foremost of the strong; and the brahmins laughed then;
तत्र आश्चर्यं भीमसेनः चकार पुरुषर्षभःtatra āścaryaṃ bhīmasenaḥ cakāra puruṣarṣabhaḥthere a wonder Bhimasena wrought, bull among men:
यत् शल्यं पतितं भूमौ न अहनत् बलिनं बलीyat śalyaṃ patitaṃ bhūmau na ahanat balinaṃ balīthat Shalya, fallen to the ground, strong as he was, the strong one did not strike [= did not slay];
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
न्यवधीद्nyavadhīdoriginal form "nyavadhīd", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बलिनांbalināṃoriginal form "balināṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रेष्ठोśreṣṭhooriginal form "śreṣṭho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जहसुर्jahasuroriginal form "jahasur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्राह्मणास्brāhmaṇāsoriginal form "brāhmaṇās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्राश्चर्यंtatrāścaryaṃoriginal form "tatrāścaryaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भीमसेनश्bhīmasenaśoriginal form "bhīmasenaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यच्yacoriginal form "yac", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
छल्यंchalyaṃoriginal form "chalyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नाहनद्nāhanadoriginal form "nāhanad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Then Bhima, foremost of the strong, lifting Shalya with his arms in battle, threw him to the ground; and the brahmins laughed. And Bhima, bull among men, wrought a wonder there: that the strong one did not strike down mighty Shalya, fallen to the ground."
Version
657c4698d37b · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:44:41 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here Bhima's might is crowned with mercy. It is telling that, having thrown Shalya down, he does not finish him off: it is called a "wonder" that the strong man spared the fallen one. Here is nobility in victory: it is enough to overcome, there is no need to destroy one who has yielded. Telling too is that the verse calls this a "wonder" -- for restraint in the flush of triumph is rare. Thus the verse shows that true valor is crowned with mercy; and Bhima, having thrown Shalya down, spares him, as befits the great.