Mahabharata · 2.39.16–17
॥
Devanāgarī
शिशुपालस् तु संक्रुद्धे भीमसेने नराधिप ॥
नाकम्पत तदा वीरः पौरुषे स्वे व्यवस्थितः ॥
उत्पतन्तं तु वेगेन पुनः पुनर् अरिंदमः ॥
न स तं चिन्तयाम् आस सिंहः क्षुद्रमृगं यथा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
śiśupālas tu saṃkruddhe bhīmasene narādhipa ||
nākampata tadā vīraḥ pauruṣe sve vyavasthitaḥ ||
utpatantaṃ tu vegena punaḥ punar ariṃdamaḥ ||
na sa taṃ cintayām āsa siṃhaḥ kṣudramṛgaṃ yathā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
शिशुपालस् तु संक्रुद्धेśiśupālas tu saṃkruddheShishupala, though Bhimasena
भीमसेने नराधिपbhīmasene narādhipawas enraged, O lord of men,
न अकम्पत तदा वीरःna akampata tadā vīraḥdid not waver then, the hero,
पौरुषे स्वे व्यवस्थितःpauruṣe sve vyavasthitaḥestablished in his own valor;
उत्पतन्तं तु वेगेनutpatantaṃ tu vegenaat him leaping up with force
पुनः पुनर् अरिंदमःpunaḥ punar ariṃdamaḥagain and again [Bhima], —
न स तं चिन्तयाम् आसna sa taṃ cintayām āsahe, the tamer of foes, paid no heed to him,
सिंहः क्षुद्र-मृगं यथाsiṃhaḥ kṣudra-mṛgaṃ yathāas a lion [pays no heed] to a small beast.
नाकम्पतnākampataoriginal form "nākampata", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
क्षुद्रमृगंkṣudramṛgaṃoriginal form "kṣudramṛgaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
But Shishupala, when Bhimasena grew enraged, O lord of men, did not waver then, the hero, firm in his own valor. And to Bhima, leaping up again and again, he, that tamer of foes, paid no heed — as a lion pays no heed to a small beast.
Version
a96b70dd0df0 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:40:28 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Shishupala's fearlessness before Bhima's wrath is the boldness not of valor but of blindness: the doomed man does not tremble, because he does not see the edge on which he stands. It is telling that he takes himself for a 'lion' and Bhima for a 'small beast' — the self-deception of pride, which inverts magnitudes. The verse teaches that fearlessness is of two kinds: one from wisdom that knows its own support, and one from madness that has lost all measure. He whose reason is darkened before his own destruction is calm not from strength but because he does not perceive the danger. And the more firmly the blind man stands 'in his own valor,' the more surely that firmness is the firmness of one walking to his own end.