Mahabharata 3.137.18 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 137, Shloka 18
यवक्रीत-वधः
The Slaying of Yavakrīta at Raibhya’s Hermitage
स वै प्रविशमानस्तु शूद्रेणान्धेन रक्षिणा । निगृहीतो बलाद् द्वारि सोडवातिष्ठत पार्थिव
sa vai praviśamānas tu śūdreṇāndhena rakṣiṇā | nigṛhīto balād dvāri so ’vātiṣṭhata pārthiva rājan ||
As he was entering, he was seized at the doorway by force by a Śūdra gate-guard who was blind. Thus restrained, he stood there at the door, O king—an incident that underscores how even a powerful or determined intruder can be checked by the appointed protector of a sacred space, and how boundaries around ritual places are to be respected.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights respect for protected or sacred boundaries: even if someone intends to enter, the appointed guardian—regardless of social status or physical limitation—has the duty and authority to restrain improper entry, reflecting dharma as role-based responsibility.
A man attempting to enter is caught at the doorway by a blind Śūdra guard and forcibly restrained, so he remains standing there at the entrance while the speaker narrates this to the king.
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