Shloka 26
अभिधावंस्ततो वाक्यमन्तरिक्षात् स शुश्रुवे । किमासीदसि पानीयं नैतच्छक्यं बलात् त्वया,दौड़ते समय उन्हें आकाशकी ओरसे आती हुई वाणी सुनायी दी--“कुन्तीनन्दन! क्यों पानीके निकट जा रहे हो? तुम जबरदस्ती यह जल नहीं पी सकते। भारत! यदि मेरे उन प्रश्नोंका उत्तर दे सको, तो यहाँका पानी पीओ और साथ ले भी जाओ'
abhidhāvaṁs tato vākyam antarīkṣāt sa śuśruve | kim āsīd asi pānīyaṁ naitac chakyaṁ balāt tvayā | bhārata yadi me praśnān uttareṇa samarthase | tataḥ piba jalaṁ hy etat nayasva ca yathāsukham ||
As he hurried forward, he heard a voice from the sky: “O son of Kuntī, why are you rushing toward the water? You cannot drink this by force. O Bhārata, if you are able to answer my questions, then drink this water—and take it away as well, as you please.”
यक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that rightful access is governed by dharma, not by strength: even a powerful hero must submit to ethical conditions (answering questions truthfully) rather than taking what he wants by force.
As the Pāṇḍava approaches the water, a Yakṣa speaks from the sky, forbidding him to drink forcibly and setting a condition: only after answering the Yakṣa’s questions may he drink and even carry the water away.