तेषु संत्रास्यमानेषु कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ॥
अभ्यभाषन् महाबाहुं भीमसेनम् अरिंदमम् ॥
मत्स्यराजः परामृष्टस् त्रिगर्तेन सुशर्मणा ॥
तं मोक्षय महाबाहो न गच्छेद् द्विषतां वशम् ॥
उषिताः स्मः सुखं सर्वे सर्वकामैः सुपूजिताः ॥
भीमसेन त्वया कार्या तस्य वासस्य निष्कृतिः ॥
भीमसेन उवाच
अहम् एनं परित्रास्ये शासनात् तव पार्थिव ॥
पश्य मे सुमहत् कर्म युध्यतः सह शत्रुभिः ॥
स्वबाहुबलम् आश्रित्य तिष्ठ त्वं भ्रातृभिः सह ॥
एकान्तम् आश्रितो राजन् पश्य मे ऽद्य पराक्रमम् ॥
सुस्कन्धो ऽयं महावृक्षो गदारूप इव स्थितः ॥
एनम् एव समारुज्य द्रावयिष्यामि शात्रवान् ॥
वैशंपायन उवाच
तं मत्तम् इव मातङ्गं वीक्षमाणं वनस्पतिम् ॥
अब्रवीद् भ्रातरं वीरं धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः ॥
मा भीम साहसं कार्षीस् तिष्ठत्व् एष वनस्पतिः ॥
मा त्वा वृक्षेण कर्माणि कुर्वाणम् अतिमानुषम् ॥
जनाः समवबुध्येरन् भीमो ऽयम् इति भारत ॥
अन्यद् एवायुधं किं चित् प्रतिपद्यस्व मानुषम् ॥
चापं वा यदि वा शक्तिं निस्त्रिंशं वा परश्वधम् ॥
यद् एव मानुषं भीम भवेद् अन्यैर् अलक्षितम् ॥
तद् एवायुधम् आदाय मोक्षयाशु महीपतिम् ॥
यमौ च चक्ररक्षौ ते भवितारौ महाबलौ ॥
व्यूहतः समरे तात मत्स्यराजं परीप्सतः ॥
teṣu saṃtrāsyamāneṣu kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
abhyabhāṣan mahābāhuṃ bhīmasenam ariṃdamam ||
matsyarājaḥ parāmṛṣṭas trigartena suśarmaṇā ||
taṃ mokṣaya mahābāho na gacched dviṣatāṃ vaśam ||
uṣitāḥ smaḥ sukhaṃ sarve sarvakāmaiḥ supūjitāḥ ||
bhīmasena tvayā kāryā tasya vāsasya niṣkṛtiḥ ||
bhīmasena uvāca
aham enaṃ paritrāsye śāsanāt tava pārthiva ||
paśya me sumahat karma yudhyataḥ saha śatrubhiḥ ||
svabāhubalam āśritya tiṣṭha tvaṃ bhrātṛbhiḥ saha ||
ekāntam āśrito rājan paśya me 'dya parākramam ||
suskandho 'yaṃ mahāvṛkṣo gadārūpa iva sthitaḥ ||
enam eva samārujya drāvayiṣyāmi śātravān ||
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
taṃ mattam iva mātaṅgaṃ vīkṣamāṇaṃ vanaspatim ||
abravīd bhrātaraṃ vīraṃ dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
mā bhīma sāhasaṃ kārṣīs tiṣṭhatv eṣa vanaspatiḥ ||
mā tvā vṛkṣeṇa karmāṇi kurvāṇam atimānuṣam ||
janāḥ samavabudhyeran bhīmo 'yam iti bhārata ||
anyad evāyudhaṃ kiṃ cit pratipadyasva mānuṣam ||
cāpaṃ vā yadi vā śaktiṃ nistriṃśaṃ vā paraśvadham ||
yad eva mānuṣaṃ bhīma bhaved anyair alakṣitam ||
tad evāyudham ādāya mokṣayāśu mahīpatim ||
yamau ca cakrarakṣau te bhavitārau mahābalau ||
vyūhataḥ samare tāta matsyarājaṃ parīpsataḥ ||
While they were seized with terror, Kunti's son Yudhishthira spoke to mighty-armed Bhimasena, tamer of foes: 'The king of the Matsyas has been seized by Susharman the Trigarta. Free him, mighty-armed one; let him not fall into the power of the enemy. We have all lived happily with him, honored with every desired thing. Bhimasena, you must repay him for that shelter.' Bhimasena said: 'I shall rescue him at your command, O king. Watch my great deed as I fight the enemies. Rely on the strength of your own arms and stand aside with our brothers, O king; today you will see my valor. Here stands a great tree with a fine trunk, like a mace. Tearing it up, I shall put the enemies to flight.' Vaishampayana said: 'Seeing him eyeing the lord of the forest like an intoxicated elephant, the hero Dharmaraja Yudhishthira said to his brother: "Do not act rashly, Bhima; let this tree stand. People will realize that you are performing superhuman deeds with a tree, and will say: this is Bhima. Take up some other, human weapon instead: a bow, or a javelin, or a sword, or an axe. Whatever weapon would be human, Bhima, unremarked by others, take that one; swiftly free the king. The twins, mighty as they are, will be your guardians of the wheels when you array yourself in battle, seeking to save the king of the Matsyas."'
bb8e04dfd452 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:23:49 PM UTC
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Yudhishthira restrains Bhima not from the feat itself, but from a premature exposure of who they are. Strength must serve the vow, or even a righteous act of protection could break the given word.