Mahabharata 3.176.1-9

Devanāgarī

वैशंपायन उवाच
स भीमसेनस् तेजस्वी तथा सर्पवशं गतः ॥
चिन्तयाम् आस सर्पस्य वीर्यम् अत्यद्भुतं महत् ॥
उवाच च महासर्पं कामया ब्रूहि पन्नग ॥
कस् त्वं भो भुजगश्रेष्ठ किं मया च करिष्यसि ॥
पाण्डवो भिमसेनो ऽहं धर्मराजाद् अनन्तरः ॥
नागायुतसमप्राणस् त्वया नीतः कथं वशम् ॥
सिंहाः केसरिणो व्याघ्रा महिषा वारणास् तथा ॥
समागताश् च बहुशो निहताश् च मया मृधे ॥
दानवाश् च पिशाचाश् च राक्षसाश् च महाबलाः ॥
भुजवेगम् अशक्ता मे सोढुं पन्नगसत्तम ॥
किं नु विद्याबलं किं वा वरदानम् अथो तव ॥
उद्योगम् अपि कुर्वाणो वशगो ऽस्मि कृतस् त्वया ॥
असत्यो विक्रमो नॄणाम् इति मे निश्चिता मतिः ॥
यथेदं मे त्वया नाग बलं प्रतिहतं महत् ॥
इत्य् एवंवादिनं वीरं भीमम् अक्लिष्टकारिणम् ॥
भोगेन महता सर्पः समन्तात् पर्यवेष्टयत् ॥
निगृह्य तं महाबाहुं ततः स भुजगस् तदा ॥
विमुच्यास्य भुजौ पीनाव् इदं वचनम् अब्रवीत् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
sa bhīmasenas tejasvī tathā sarpavaśaṃ gataḥ ||
cintayām āsa sarpasya vīryam atyadbhutaṃ mahat ||
uvāca ca mahāsarpaṃ kāmayā brūhi pannaga ||
kas tvaṃ bho bhujagaśreṣṭha kiṃ mayā ca kariṣyasi ||
pāṇḍavo bhimaseno 'haṃ dharmarājād anantaraḥ ||
nāgāyutasamaprāṇas tvayā nītaḥ kathaṃ vaśam ||
siṃhāḥ kesariṇo vyāghrā mahiṣā vāraṇās tathā ||
samāgatāś ca bahuśo nihatāś ca mayā mṛdhe ||
dānavāś ca piśācāś ca rākṣasāś ca mahābalāḥ ||
bhujavegam aśaktā me soḍhuṃ pannagasattama ||
kiṃ nu vidyābalaṃ kiṃ vā varadānam atho tava ||
udyogam api kurvāṇo vaśago 'smi kṛtas tvayā ||
asatyo vikramo nṝṇām iti me niścitā matiḥ ||
yathedaṃ me tvayā nāga balaṃ pratihataṃ mahat ||
ity evaṃvādinaṃ vīraṃ bhīmam akliṣṭakāriṇam ||
bhogena mahatā sarpaḥ samantāt paryaveṣṭayat ||
nigṛhya taṃ mahābāhuṃ tataḥ sa bhujagas tadā ||
vimucyāsya bhujau pīnāv idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

वैशंपायन उवाच स भीमसेनस् तेजस्वी तथा सर्पवशं गतः ॥ चिन्तयाम् आस सर्पस्य वीर्यम् अत्यद्भुतं महत् ॥ उवाच च महासर्पं कामया ब्रूहि पन्नग ॥ कस् त्वं भो भुजगश्रेष्ठ किं मया च करिष्यसि ॥ पाण्डवो भिमसेनो ऽहं धर्मराजाद् अनन्तरः ॥ नागायुतसमप्राणस् त्वया नीतः कथं वशम् ॥ सिंहाः केसरिणो व्याघ्रा महिषा वारणास् तथा ॥ समागताश् च बहुशो निहताश् च मया मृधे ॥ दानवाश् च पिशाचाश् च राक्षसाश् च महाबलाः ॥ भुजवेगम् अशक्ता मे सोढुं पन्नगसत्तम ॥ किं नु विद्याबलं किं वा वरदानम् अथो तव ॥ उद्योगम् अपि कुर्वाणो वशगो ऽस्मि कृतस् त्वया ॥ असत्यो विक्रमो नॄणाम् इति मे निश्चिता मतिः ॥ यथेदं मे त्वया नाग बलं प्रतिहतं महत् ॥ इत्य् एवंवादिनं वीरं भीमम् अक्लिष्टकारिणम् ॥ भोगेन महता सर्पः समन्तात् पर्यवेष्टयत् ॥ निगृह्य तं महाबाहुं ततः स भुजगस् तदा ॥ विमुच्यास्य भुजौ पीनाव् इदं वचनम् अब्रवीत् ॥vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca sa bhīmasenas tejasvī tathā sarpavaśaṃ gataḥ || cintayām āsa sarpasya vīryam atyadbhutaṃ mahat || uvāca ca mahāsarpaṃ kāmayā brūhi pannaga || kas tvaṃ bho bhujagaśreṣṭha kiṃ mayā ca kariṣyasi || pāṇḍavo bhimaseno 'haṃ dharmarājād anantaraḥ || nāgāyutasamaprāṇas tvayā nītaḥ kathaṃ vaśam || siṃhāḥ kesariṇo vyāghrā mahiṣā vāraṇās tathā || samāgatāś ca bahuśo nihatāś ca mayā mṛdhe || dānavāś ca piśācāś ca rākṣasāś ca mahābalāḥ || bhujavegam aśaktā me soḍhuṃ pannagasattama || kiṃ nu vidyābalaṃ kiṃ vā varadānam atho tava || udyogam api kurvāṇo vaśago 'smi kṛtas tvayā || asatyo vikramo nṝṇām iti me niścitā matiḥ || yathedaṃ me tvayā nāga balaṃ pratihataṃ mahat || ity evaṃvādinaṃ vīraṃ bhīmam akliṣṭakāriṇam || bhogena mahatā sarpaḥ samantāt paryaveṣṭayat || nigṛhya taṃ mahābāhuṃ tataḥ sa bhujagas tadā || vimucyāsya bhujau pīnāv idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||Bhimasena, finding himself in the serpent's power, pondered its astonishing great strength and asked who it was and what it would do with him; Bhima named himself a Pandava, Bhimasena, younger brother after Dharmaraja, equal in strength to ten thousand nagas, and wondered how he had come under the serpent's power; he said that he had slain lions, tigers, buffaloes, elephants, danavas, pishachas, and mighty rakshasas unable to withstand the speed of his arms; he asked wherein the serpent's strength lay -- in knowledge or in a boon -- since even with effort he was subdued; he concluded that human valor is false if such strength could be checked; the serpent coiled a great ring around the hero, gripped him, then freed his mighty arms and answered.

Translation

Vaishampayana said: 'Having fallen into the serpent's power, the radiant Bhimasena pondered its great and astonishing strength. He said: "Tell me, pannaga, best among serpents, who are you? What will you do to me? I am the Pandava Bhimasena, younger brother of Dharmaraja, equal in strength to ten thousand nagas. How have you brought me under your power? Lions, maned beasts, tigers, buffaloes, elephants -- many have I met and slain in battle. Danavas, pishachas, and mighty rakshasas could not withstand the speed of my arms, best of pannagas. What is this -- the power of knowledge, or a boon granted to you? I strain with all my effort, yet you have subdued me. Now my mind is resolved: human valor is not real, since even this great strength of mine has been checked by you, serpent." While the hero Bhima, untiring in action, was speaking thus, the serpent coiled its great body around him on every side. Having gripped the mighty-armed one, the serpent then freed his broad arms and spoke these words.'

Commentary

For the first time Bhima admits aloud the limit of human valor. This is not the hero's humiliation but the beginning of knowledge: strength grows wiser when it sees its own boundary.

Version

82874cd9c483 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:12:44 PM UTC

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