Shloka 9
Chapter 15: Counsel on Initiative vs. Renunciation in the Rajasuya Project (सभापर्व, अध्याय १५)
त्वत्सकाशाच्च रामाच्च भीमसेनाच्च माधव । अर्जुनाद् वा महाबाहो हन्तुं शक्यो न वेति वै । एवं जाननू् हि वार्ष्णेय विमृशामि पुन: पुन:
tvatsakāśāc ca rāmāc ca bhīmasenāc ca mādhava | arjunād vā mahābāho hantuṁ śakyo na veti vai || evaṁ jānann hi vārṣṇeya vimṛśāmi punaḥ punaḥ | mahābāho mādhava ||
Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „O Mādhava, o Großarmiger—kann er wahrhaft getötet werden oder nicht: durch dich, oder durch Rāma (Balarāma), oder durch Bhīmasena, oder durch Arjuna? O Vārṣṇeya, obgleich ich weiß, dass deine Macht ohne Maß ist, erwäge ich dies doch immer wieder.“
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dhārmic hesitation and responsible decision-making: even when power is available, a righteous ruler repeatedly examines whether violence is necessary, possible, and morally justified, seeking counsel rather than acting from impulse.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava/Vārṣṇeya), asking whether a particular adversary can be killed by Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, Bhīma, or Arjuna. Despite knowing Kṛṣṇa’s extraordinary capability, he continues to deliberate, reflecting his cautious, ethical temperament.