Shloka 7
त॑ं धर्मराजो विमना इवाब्रवीत् सर्वे द्विया सन्ति तपस्विनो5मी । भवानिदं कि स्मयतीव हृष्ट- स्तपस्विनां पश्यतां मामुदीक्ष्य,तब धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरने उदासीन-से होकर पूछा--'मुने! ये सब तपस्वी तो मेरी अवस्था देखकर कुछ संकुचित-से हो रहे हैं, परंतु क्या कारण है कि आप इन सब महात्माओंके सामने मेरी ओर देखकर प्रसन्नतापूर्वक यों मुसकराते-से दिखायी देते हैं?
taṁ dharmarājo vimanā ivābravīt sarve dvijā santi tapasvino ’mī | bhavān idaṁ kiṁ smayatīva hṛṣṭas tapasvināṁ paśyatāṁ mām udīkṣya ||
Then Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), as though downcast and uneasy, said: “O sage, all these twice-born here are ascetics. Seeing me, they seem restrained and withdrawn. Yet why is it that you, looking at me in the presence of these tapasvins, appear delighted and smile as if in gentle amusement?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical sensitivity in a dharmic king: Yudhiṣṭhira notices the subtle reactions of ascetics and seeks the reason behind a sage’s smiling. It models humility, self-scrutiny, and respect for the moral authority of tapasvins—qualities central to righteous leadership.
In the forest setting of the Vana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira, feeling uneasy, addresses a revered figure. He observes that the assembled ascetics seem constrained on seeing him, while the addressed sage looks at him and smiles with evident pleasure. Yudhiṣṭhira asks why this contrast in reactions occurs.