Mahabharata 3.147.15-22

Devanāgarī

वैशंपायन उवाच
विज्ञाय तं बलोन्मत्तं बाहुवीर्येण गर्वितम् ॥
हृदयेनावहस्यैनं हनूमान् वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥
प्रसीद नास्ति मे शक्तिर् उत्थातुं जरयानघ ॥
ममानुकम्पया त्व् एतत् पुच्छम् उत्सार्य गम्यताम् ॥
सावज्ञम् अथ वामेन स्मयञ् जग्राह पाणिना ॥
न चाशकच् चालयितुं भीमः पुच्छं महाकपेः ॥
उच्चिक्षेप पुनर् दोर्भ्याम् इन्द्रायुधम् इवोच्छ्रितम् ॥
नोद्धर्तुम् अशकद् भीमो दोर्भ्याम् अपि महाबलः ॥
उत्क्षिप्तभ्रूर् विवृत्ताक्षः संहतभ्रुकुटीमुखः ॥
स्विन्नगात्रो ऽभवद् भीमो न चोद्धर्तुं शशाक ह ॥
यत्नवान् अपि तु श्रीमांल् लाङ्गूलोद्धरणोद्धुतः ॥
कपेः पार्श्वगतो भीमस् तस्थौ व्रीडाद् अधोमुखः ॥
प्रणिपत्य च कौन्तेयः प्राञ्जलिर् वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥
प्रसीद कपिशार्दूल दुरुक्तं क्षम्यतां मम ॥
सिद्धो वा यदि वा देवो गन्धर्वो वाथ गुह्यकः ॥
पृष्टः सन् कामया ब्रूहि कस् त्वं वानररूपधृक् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
vijñāya taṃ balonmattaṃ bāhuvīryeṇa garvitam ||
hṛdayenāvahasyainaṃ hanūmān vākyam abravīt ||
prasīda nāsti me śaktir utthātuṃ jarayānagha ||
mamānukampayā tv etat puccham utsārya gamyatām ||
sāvajñam atha vāmena smayañ jagrāha pāṇinā ||
na cāśakac cālayituṃ bhīmaḥ pucchaṃ mahākapeḥ ||
uccikṣepa punar dorbhyām indrāyudham ivocchritam ||
noddhartum aśakad bhīmo dorbhyām api mahābalaḥ ||
utkṣiptabhrūr vivṛttākṣaḥ saṃhatabhrukuṭīmukhaḥ ||
svinnagātro 'bhavad bhīmo na coddhartuṃ śaśāka ha ||
yatnavān api tu śrīmāṃl lāṅgūloddharaṇoddhutaḥ ||
kapeḥ pārśvagato bhīmas tasthau vrīḍād adhomukhaḥ ||
praṇipatya ca kaunteyaḥ prāñjalir vākyam abravīt ||
prasīda kapiśārdūla duruktaṃ kṣamyatāṃ mama ||
siddho vā yadi vā devo gandharvo vātha guhyakaḥ ||
pṛṣṭaḥ san kāmayā brūhi kas tvaṃ vānararūpadhṛk ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

वैशंपायन उवाच विज्ञाय तं बलोन्मत्तं बाहुवीर्येण गर्वितम् ॥ हृदयेनावहस्यैनं हनूमान् वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥ प्रसीद नास्ति मे शक्तिर् उत्थातुं जरयानघ ॥ ममानुकम्पया त्व् एतत् पुच्छम् उत्सार्य गम्यताम् ॥ सावज्ञम् अथ वामेन स्मयञ् जग्राह पाणिना ॥ न चाशकच् चालयितुं भीमः पुच्छं महाकपेः ॥ उच्चिक्षेप पुनर् दोर्भ्याम् इन्द्रायुधम् इवोच्छ्रितम् ॥ नोद्धर्तुम् अशकद् भीमो दोर्भ्याम् अपि महाबलः ॥ उत्क्षिप्तभ्रूर् विवृत्ताक्षः संहतभ्रुकुटीमुखः ॥ स्विन्नगात्रो ऽभवद् भीमो न चोद्धर्तुं शशाक ह ॥ यत्नवान् अपि तु श्रीमांल् लाङ्गूलोद्धरणोद्धुतः ॥ कपेः पार्श्वगतो भीमस् तस्थौ व्रीडाद् अधोमुखः ॥ प्रणिपत्य च कौन्तेयः प्राञ्जलिर् वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥ प्रसीद कपिशार्दूल दुरुक्तं क्षम्यतां मम ॥ सिद्धो वा यदि वा देवो गन्धर्वो वाथ गुह्यकः ॥ पृष्टः सन् कामया ब्रूहि कस् त्वं वानररूपधृक् ॥vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca vijñāya taṃ balonmattaṃ bāhuvīryeṇa garvitam || hṛdayenāvahasyainaṃ hanūmān vākyam abravīt || prasīda nāsti me śaktir utthātuṃ jarayānagha || mamānukampayā tv etat puccham utsārya gamyatām || sāvajñam atha vāmena smayañ jagrāha pāṇinā || na cāśakac cālayituṃ bhīmaḥ pucchaṃ mahākapeḥ || uccikṣepa punar dorbhyām indrāyudham ivocchritam || noddhartum aśakad bhīmo dorbhyām api mahābalaḥ || utkṣiptabhrūr vivṛttākṣaḥ saṃhatabhrukuṭīmukhaḥ || svinnagātro 'bhavad bhīmo na coddhartuṃ śaśāka ha || yatnavān api tu śrīmāṃl lāṅgūloddharaṇoddhutaḥ || kapeḥ pārśvagato bhīmas tasthau vrīḍād adhomukhaḥ || praṇipatya ca kaunteyaḥ prāñjalir vākyam abravīt || prasīda kapiśārdūla duruktaṃ kṣamyatāṃ mama || siddho vā yadi vā devo gandharvo vātha guhyakaḥ || pṛṣṭaḥ san kāmayā brūhi kas tvaṃ vānararūpadhṛk ||Hanuman understood that Bhima was intoxicated with strength and proud of the might of his arms; laughing inwardly, he told him to calm himself: he has no strength to rise because of old age, let him out of compassion move the tail aside and go on; Bhima, with contempt, smiling, took the tail of the great monkey with his left hand, but could not move it; then he lifted it with both arms, like Indra's raised bow, but even with both arms the mighty one could not lift it; with raised brows, rolling eyes, knitted eyebrows and a sweating body he still could not lift it; though he tried, he stood beside the monkey, shaken by his attempt to lift the tail, his face lowered in shame; the son of Kunti fell prostrate and, with joined palms, asked the king of monkeys to forgive his evil word, asked whether he was a siddha, a god, a gandharva or a guhyaka, and who he was in the form of a monkey.

Translation

Vaishampayana said: "Understanding that he was intoxicated with strength and proud of the might of his arms, Hanuman laughed inwardly and said: 'Calm yourself, sinless one. I have no strength to rise, because of old age. Out of compassion for me, move this tail aside and go.' Then Bhima, smiling, with contempt took it with his left hand, but could not move the great monkey's tail. Then he lifted it with both arms, like Indra's raised bow, but the mighty Bhima could not lift it even with both arms. Bhima raised his brows, opened his eyes wide, knitted his brows, his body broke into sweat, but still he could not lift it. Though the glorious Bhima tried, shaken by his attempt to lift the tail, he stood beside the monkey, his face lowered in shame. Then the son of Kunti fell prostrate and, with joined palms, said: 'Be gracious, tiger among monkeys. Forgive my evil word. Are you a siddha, or a god, or a gandharva, or a guhyaka? Since I ask, tell me if you wish: who are you, who have taken a monkey's form?'"

Commentary

A single tail accomplishes what mountains and beasts could not: it stops Bhima's pride. Humility comes not from defeat by an enemy, but from an encounter with an elder.

Version

de34b867de94 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:12:44 PM UTC

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