Shloka 125
यस्य नागसहस्रेण दशसंख्येन वै बलम् | तुल्यं त॑ भीममुत्सूज्य नकुलं जीवमिच्छसि,जिसमें दस हजार हाथियोंके समान बल है, उस भीमको छोड़कर तुम नकुलको ही क्यों जिलाना चाहते हो?
yasya nāgasahasreṇa daśasaṅkhyena vai balam | tulyaṃ taṃ bhīmam utsṛjya nakulaṃ jīvam icchasi ||
The Yaksha said: “He whose strength is equal to that of ten thousand elephants—leaving aside such Bhīma, why do you wish to restore Nakula to life instead?”
यक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic test: ethical choice should not be driven by utility or power. By questioning why one would choose Nakula over the immensely strong Bhīma, the Yakṣa probes whether the chooser values fairness, duty, and impartial regard for kin over strategic advantage.
In the Yakṣa-at-the-lake episode of the Vana Parva, the Yakṣa challenges the surviving Pāṇḍava with questions and conditions for reviving a fallen brother. Here the Yakṣa highlights Bhīma’s extraordinary might and asks why, despite that, the speaker prefers Nakula to be brought back to life.