Shloka 8
एकचक्रानिवासे ब्राह्मणगृहदुःखश्रवणम् | Hearing the Brāhmaṇa Household’s Distress at Ekacakrā
न हि पापमपापात्मा रोचयिष्यति पाण्डव: । भीमो वा बलिनां श्रेष्ठ; कौन्तेयो वा धनंजय:,“निष्पाप अन्त:ःकरणवाले पाण्डुकुमार युधिष्ठिर, बलवानोंमें श्रेष्ठ भीमसेन अथवा कुन्तीनन्दन अर्जुन कभी पापसे प्रीति नहीं करेंगे
na hi pāpam apāpātmā rocayiṣyati pāṇḍavaḥ | bhīmo vā balināṃ śreṣṭhaḥ kaunteyo vā dhanañjayaḥ |
For the Pāṇḍava—pure in soul—will never approve of sin. Neither Bhīma, the foremost among the strong, nor Arjuna, Kuntī’s son Dhanañjaya, will ever take delight in wrongdoing.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts the ethical steadfastness of the Pāṇḍavas: those who are pure-minded do not consent to or take pleasure in pāpa (wrongdoing). Moral character is presented as a defining trait of Bhīma and Arjuna, reinforcing the Mahābhārata’s emphasis that true strength is aligned with dharma.
Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, underscores that the Pāṇḍavas—specifically Bhīma and Arjuna—are not the kind of men who would approve of sinful conduct. The statement functions as a character-affirmation within the unfolding Adi Parva narrative, preparing the listener to interpret subsequent actions through the lens of their commitment to righteousness.