Shloka 23

भীমेन युधिष्ठिरस्य त्यागवृत्तेः प्रतिषेधः

Bhīma’s Rebuttal of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Renunciatory Inclination

Devanagari script

नेमे मृगा: स्वर्गजितो न वराहा न पक्षिण: । अथान्येन प्रकारेण पुण्यमाहुर्न तं जना:,सदा ही वनमें रहनेपर भी न तो ये मृग स्वर्गलोकपर अधिकार पा सके हैं, न सूअर और पक्षी ही। पुण्यकी प्राप्ति तो अन्य प्रकारसे ही बतलायी गयी है। श्रेष्ठ पुरुष केवल वनवासको ही पुण्यकारक नहीं मानते

Translation

Bhīma said: “These deer have not conquered heaven—nor have boars or birds. People say that merit is gained in other ways. The noble do not regard mere dwelling in the forest alone as a source of virtue.”

Word by Word

नnot

इमेthese

मृगाःdeer/animals

स्वर्गजितःconquerors of heaven (i.e., heaven-attainers)

नnor/not

वराहाःboars

नnor/not

पक्षिणःbirds

अथthen/now/indeed

अन्येनby another

प्रकारेणby a method/way

पुण्यम्merit

आहुःthey say

नnot

तम्that (merit/that one)

जनाःpeople

Speaker

भीम उवाच

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes