- Anugraha Vachana : Shri Shri Vidyadheesha Teertha Sripadaru
- Compilation by : Lakshmi, Bengaluru
- Illustration : Shrinidhi V. Kanakapura
“Aśvamēdhaḥ kratuśrēṣṭhō jyōtiḥśrēṣṭhō divākaraḥ |
Brāhmaṇō dvipadāṁ śrēṣṭhō dēvaśrēṣṭhastu mārutaḥ ||”
It is said in the Mahabharata that Ashwamedha is the greatest among sacrifices, the Sun is superior among luminous bodies, one with the knowledge of the Supreme Brahman is superior among bipeds, and Lord Vayu is supreme among deities (after Lord Shri Hari and His consort Goddess Mahalakshmi). Such a supreme deity incarnated as the son of Kunti. Lord Vayu himself was the definitive cause for his incarnation on earth as Bheemasena and Kunti was just a channel, as per the desire of Lord Shri Hari. It must be noted that, unlike ordinary souls, Bheemasena’s birth was not because of any sin or prarabdha karma (karma that has started to bear its fruits). He is a divine incarnate who appeared on earth to wash off the sins of others and relieve people of their miseries.
The physical strength of Bheemasena stands witness to his superior attributes. Throughout the Mahabharata, there are several instances that evidently demonstrate this unique trait of Bheemasena. Once when he was less than a month old, frightened by the thunderous roar of a tiger in the forest, Kunti accidentally dropped Bheemasena from her hands. She immediately came to her senses and feared for having dropped her infant. To her surprise, she found that the ground underneath had split apart, the hills had trembled, and a mountain named Shatashrunga, rightful to its name, had shattered into a hundred pieces due to Bheema’s fall. This episode subtly sent out several messages to the world. The earth splitting apart due to Bheema’s fall showed that Bhoomidevi who upholds everyone is no match to Lord Vayu. This incident was also predictive of the occurrences of the future. It conveyed that, just like the splitting of the earth, the people dwelling on it would also eventually split into two factions — one supporting the righteous and one opposing them. Further, the mountain Shatashrunga ripping into a hundred pieces prophesied that, just like that mountain, one-hundred people would later be pulverized at the hands of Bheemasena.
After the death of Pandu, Kunti and the Pandavas were brought to Hastinapura by several sages. The sages informed Dhritarashtra and others about the sad demise of Pandu. At a time when he was supposed to provide shelter to Kunti and the Pandavas, Dhritarashtra remained unmoved. Even the elderly Bheeshma remained silent. Vidura, however, was speechless from the pleasure of seeing the Pandavas. To ensure that there was no misbelief about the paternity of the Pandavas, an ashareeravaani (celestial voice) announced that the Pandavas were indeed the sons of Pandu. As there was still no response from Dhritarashtra and the other elders, Lord Vedavyasa Himself appeared before them and ensured that the Pandavas were given their rightful place. Thus, Kunti and the Pandavas got shelter in Hastinapura by the grace of Lord Vedavyasa.
As the young princes grew, Hastinapura got filled up with the dharmic nature of Yudhishtira, the might of Bheemasena, the sattvic qualities of Arjuna, and the gentle character and modesty of Nakula and Sahadeva. Bheemasena was always at the forefront of all activities, be it studies, games or sports. As the popularity of the Pandavas grew, jealousy started to brew in the minds of the Kauravas. Once, assuming that Bheemasena could not climb trees and intending to mock him for this, the Kauravas climbed a tree to relish its ripened fruits all by themselves. Fully aware of their intent, Bheemasena gently kicked the trunk of the tree, felling the tree along with everyone on top of it. He then shared the fruits with everyone and had some for himself. This act symbolizes one of the unique traits of Bheemasena — he never had to fetch his enemies and put them down one by one; he was capable of eliminating them en masse by uprooting the source of their strength.
This episode also has a message for us. It should be remembered that it is only because of the presence of Lord Vayu within us that we are able to perform all our activities. If we must be fortunate to relish the fruits of our merits, we must, without fail offer those fruits to Lord Shri Hari through Lord Vayu. Further, before having food, one should not forget to give the five Pranahutis (namely Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, and Samana) to Lord Vayu. Duryodhana and the Kauravas refrained from doing this because of their hatred towards Bheemasena. They did not give any regard to the five forms of Lord Vayu present within the five Pandavas. Hence, they were unable to enjoy the fruits, even though they had it within their reach.
Bheemasena’s ability in swimming is another example of his exceptional strength. He could easily swim across the river Ganga, which is well known for its “ice” and “force”. The freezing temperatures and immense force of the water current are impossible for ordinary people to withstand. However, Bheemasena not only used to swim across the river by himself but he also used to effortlessly carry his brothers and the Kauravas across the river from one bank to the other. Occasionally, he used to playfully submerge them in the waters of the river Ganga and then lift them to safety. We should always contemplate this feat of Lord Vayu as he is the one who helps us cross the ocean of life. Our prayer should thus be that, even if we are occasionally submerged in this ocean, may Lord Vayu protect us like he protected Arjuna and not let us perish like Duryodhana.
It should be noted that contrary to popular belief, Bheemasena was not potbellied. He was incomparably handsome and looked eternally youthful. His attributes, including his unparalleled strength, were natural to him. His abilities were neither by virtue of practice nor by any boons. His strength and skills were intrinsic to him and can be observed at all instances, right from his birth until svargaarohana (ascension to the heavens). As there is no fear or failure to anyone who seeks the refuge of Bheemasena, it is obvious that there could never have been any fear or failure to the invincible Bheemasena himself.
