Talk:The Hindu Values of Sportsmanship:Avoid Bullying your Team Mates

By Vishal Agarwal and The Hindu Society of Minnesota

It is unjust and cruel to mock and bully others, whether they are your teammates or anyone else. One must be kind and respectful to all. Bullying breeds resentment, creates lifelong grudges, and may even lead to serious consequences. In the short term, it breaks trust and teamwork, and often results in the loss of potential success.

The following story from the Mahābhārata illustrates how arrogance and bullying by the Pāṇḍava brother Bhīma led to enmity so deep that it nearly cost him his life. Fortunately, Bhīma survived — but not everyone who bullies others may be that lucky.

Story: Duryodhana Tries to Kill Bhīma Due to the Latter’s Bullying

A dramatic scene from the Mahābhārata where the noble prince Bhīma is poisoned and thrown into the river by his jealous cousins

Among all the princes, Bhīma was the strongest and also the fastest swimmer. But he often used his strength to bully and tease the Kauravas. Sometimes, he would grab them under his arms and pretend to drown them in the Gaṅgā river, holding them until they gasped for breath and pleaded to be released. At other times, if they climbed trees, Bhīma would shake the trunks until the princes fell off like fruit.

These arrogant and forceful pranks made Duryodhana and his brothers harbor intense hatred towards him.

One day, all the royal children went for a picnic on the banks of the Gaṅgā. Duryodhana, determined to eliminate Bhīma, mixed poison into his food. That night, when Bhīma lay unconscious from the poison, Duryodhana and a few Kauravas tied him with wild creepers and threw him into the river. To ensure his death, they had also planted sharp metal spikes on the riverbed at the spot where they threw him in.

However, fate had different plans. The strong river current dislodged the spikes, sweeping them away from the place where Bhīma fell. Inside the water, Bhīma’s body sank deep, where he was bitten by several poisonous snakes.

Bhīma, cast into the river by his envious cousins, is seized by serpents

But as they say, "diamond cuts diamond" — the poison from the snakebites counteracted the food poison. Bhīma soon regained consciousness and, with great effort, managed to reach the riverbank alive.

Insight from the Story Mocking, bullying, or humiliating others may seem like a joke in the moment, but it can create deep wounds and lifelong enemies. Bhīma’s actions, though unintentional, hurt the dignity of others and resulted in attempts on his life. This tale reminds us to treat everyone with kindness and humility, as the consequences of arrogance can be dangerous and far-reaching.