Shloka 5
भीमसेन! समस्त राजाओंद्वारा सम्मानित जैसे प्रतिष्ठित कुलमें तुम्हारा जन्म हुआ है, अपने बन्धुओं और सुहृदोंसहित तुम वैसी ही प्रतिष्ठाके योग्य हो ।। जिज्ञासन्तो हि धर्मस्य संदिग्धस्य वृकोदर । पर्यायं नाध्यवस्यन्ति देवमानुषयोर्जना:,वृकोदर! देवधर्म (प्रारब्ध) और मानुषधर्म (पुरुषार्थ)-का स्वरूप संदिग्ध है। लोग दैव और पुरुषार्थ दोनोंके परिणामको जानना चाहते हैं, परंतु किसी निश्चयतक पहुँच नहीं पाते
jijñāsanto hi dharmasya sandigdhasya vṛkodara | paryāyaṃ nādhyavasyanti devamānuṣayor janāḥ ||
vṛkodara! devadharma (prārabdha) aur mānuṣadharma (puruṣārtha)-kā svarūpa sandigdha hai | log daiva aur puruṣārtha donoṃ ke pariṇāma ko jānna chāhte hain, parantu kisī niścaya tak nahīṃ pahuṃc pāte |
Bhīmasena! Born in a renowned line honored by all kings, and surrounded by kinsmen and well-wishers, you are worthy of that same honor. O Vṛkodara, when dharma is uncertain, those who inquire into it cannot reach a settled conclusion about what belongs to divine dispensation (fate, what has already been set in motion) and what belongs to human effort (personal striving). People wish to know the outcome of both fate and effort, yet they do not arrive at a firm decision.
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When dharma appears ambiguous, people struggle to decide how much is governed by fate (daiva/prārabdha) and how much by human effort (puruṣārtha). The verse highlights the ethical difficulty of making firm judgments when outcomes can be attributed to either providence or personal agency.
Bhīma speaks reflectively about the uncertainty surrounding dharma, contrasting divine dispensation and human striving. The statement frames a moral-philosophical tension relevant to the impending conflict, where decisions must be made despite uncertainty about what is ‘fated’ and what is ‘chosen.’