Did Bhima have the strength of 10000 elephants?

Question

I remember a story to that effect - is it in the Mahabharata?

Answer 1

Yes, according to Mahabharata it looks like Bhima had the strength of around 10000 elephants. Bhima got this strength when Duryodhana gave him poison and when he became senseless Duryodhana drowned him in water. After that Bhima reached to Naga loka where he met the king of nagas Vasuki. Vasuki offered him some kind of drink. Each vessel have around strength of 1000 elephants and Bhima drank around eight of them. This story is mentioned in Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: SECTION CXXVIII.

"On hearing the words of Vasuki, Aryaka said, 'O king of serpents, when Your Majesty is pleased with him, no need of wealth for him! Permit him to drink of rasakunda (nectar-vessels) and thus acquire immeasurable strength. There is the strength of a thousand elephants in each one of those vessels. Let this prince drink as much as he can.'

"The king of serpents gave his consent. And the serpents thereupon began auspicious rites. Then purifying himself carefully, Bhimasena facing the east began to drink nectar. At one breath, he quaffed off the contents of a whole vessel, and in this manner drained off eight successive jars, till he was full. At length, the serpents prepared an excellent bed for him, on which he lay down at ease.'"

After drinking that Bhima fell asleep and when he awake it was told by Nagas that now he possess the strength of 10000 elephants. It is mentioned in next chapter.

"Meanwhile, Bhimasena awoke from that slumber on the eighth day, and felt strong beyond measure in consequence of the nectar he had taken having been all digested. Seeing him awake, the Nagas began to console and cheer him, saying, 'O thou of mighty arms, the strength-giving liquor thou hast drunk will give thee the might of ten thousand elephants! No one now will be able to vanquish thee in fight. O bull of Kuru's race, do thou bath in this holy and auspicious water and return home. Thy brothers are disconsolate because of thee.'

Answer 2

The story about Bhīma visiting Nāga-loka and then gaining the strength of 10,000 elephants which is present in the K. M. Ganguli translation has been excised from the Critical Edition (CE) of the Mahābhārata.

This is how Bhīma's poisoning story begins and ends in Bibek Debroy's translation based on the CE:

Adi Parva (Sambhava Parva)

Chapter 119

. . .

In fights, speed and martial exercises, the princes were never able to get the better of Vrikodara in any competition. Thus, in any competition, Dhritarashtra's sons began to hate Vrikodara, even though he bore no ill will towards them, since he was only a child.

Bhimasena's great strength became well known. On learning this, Dhritarashtra's powerful son revealed the evil side of his nature. He was wicked and inclined towards evil. Out of delusion and greed for riches, an evil thought occurred to him. "Kunti's son Vrikodara, the second of the Pandavas, is the best in strength. I must find some trick so as to kill him. Then I will overpower his younger brother and his elder brother Yudhishthira. I will tie them up and reign as the sovereign of the earth." Having made his mind up about this evil act, Duryodhana was always on the lookout for a chance to get at the great-souled Bhima.

For the sake of water sports, he had a wonderful and large sports house constructed, with cotton and wool. It was full of every object of desire. It was at a place known as Pramanakoti and slightly above the waterline. Wien the games were over, they would dress themselves in fresh garments, wear ornaments and quickly eat. When day was over, the valorous Kuru princes would be exhausted from their games and would rest in that sports house. The powerful Bhima always prevailed over the other princes in water sports. But on one occasion, he was tired at there having been an excess of exercise. He wished to sleep in Pramanakoti and climbed up the bank and found a spot. He was clad in a white garment. He was tired and he was under the influence of drink. O king! The Pandava was tired and slept like one who was dead. Then Duryodhana quietly tied him up with thongs made of creepers. He rolled him down from the land into the swift and deep waters. Regaining his consciousness, Kounteya tore apart all the bonds. Bhima, supreme among those who wield arms, arose from the water.

On another occasion when Bhima was again sleeping, he brought many snakes — sharp in teeth, immensely poisonous, angry and virulent. He made them bite him in all the soft spots of his body. But even when they bit him in the soft spots, they could not bring him down. They could not penetrate his skin, because the broad-chested one was too tough. When Bhima woke up, he killed all the snakes. He and his companions became very careful from that time onwards.

He also had poison mixed in Bhimasena's food. This was freshly made kalakuta poison, so virulent that it made the hair on the body stand up. On this occasion, the Vaishya's son alerted Pritha's sons, so as to ensure their welfare. But though Vrikodara ate this, it had no effect on him. Though the poison was extremely virulent and was meant to kill Bhima, Bhima digested and tolerated it.

Then Duryodhana, Karna and Subala's son Shakuni tried many other means to kill the Pandavas. However, the Pandavas, scorchers of their enemies, got to know about all of these. As advised by Vidura, they never revealed all this.

[The Mahabharata: Volume 1, Bibek Debroy]

Given this, I think any references to Bhīma's strength as ayuta (अयुत) in the CE of Mahābhārata has to be interpreted to mean myriad, countless, etc. instead of the literal interpretation of 10,000 elephants.