Shloka 132

Devanagari script

यथा कुन्ती तथा माद्री विशेषो नास्ति मे तयो: । मातृभ्यां सममिच्छामि नकुलो यक्ष जीवतु,यक्ष! मेरे लिये जैसी कुन्ती है, वैसी ही माद्री। उन दोनोंमें कोई अन्तर नहीं है। मैं दोनों माताओंके प्रति समानभाव ही रखना चाहता हूँ। इसलिये नकुल ही जीवित हो

Transliteration

yathā kuntī tathā mādrī viśeṣo nāsti me tayoḥ | mātṛbhyāṁ samam icchāmi nakulo yakṣa jīvatu ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “As Kuntī is to me, so is Mādrī; I see no difference between the two. I wish to hold equal regard for both my mothers. Therefore, O Yakṣa, let Nakula be the one who lives.”

Word by Word

यथाas, just as

कुन्तीKunti

तथाso, likewise

माद्रीMadri

विशेषःdifference, distinction

नnot

अस्तिis/exists

मेof me, my

तयोःof those two (of them both)

मातृभ्याम्with/by the two mothers; toward the two mothers (as the pair concerned)

समम्equal(ly), the same

इच्छामिI wish, I desire

नकुलःNakula

यक्षO Yaksha

जीवतुlet (him) live

यक्षO Yaksha

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kuntī

Mādrī

Nakula

Yakṣa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Impartiality and fairness in dharma: Yudhiṣṭhira refuses to privilege his own birth-mother (Kuntī) over Mādrī, and chooses Nakula so that both mothers have a living son—showing ethical balance, gratitude, and non-partisan judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Yakṣa episode at the lake, Yudhiṣṭhira is offered a choice to revive one of his fallen brothers. He explains that Kuntī and Mādrī are equal to him, and therefore asks that Nakula (Mādrī’s son) be restored to life.