Shloka 22

Bhīmasena’s Admonition to Yudhiṣṭhira on Rājya and the Ordering of Dharma–Artha–Kāma

Book 3, Chapter 34

Devanagari script

मम प्रतिज्ञां च निबोध सत्यां वृणे धर्मममृताज्जीविताच्च । राज्यं च पुत्राश्न यशो धनं च सर्व न सत्यस्य कलामुपैति,किंतु भीमसेन! मेरी यह सच्ची प्रतिज्ञा सुनो। मैं जीवन और अमरत्वकी अपेक्षा भी धर्मको ही बढ़कर समझता हूँ। राज्य, पुत्र, यश और धन--ये सब-के-सब सत्यधर्मकी सोलहवीं कलाको भी नहीं पा सकते

Transliteration

mama pratijñāṃ ca nibodha satyāṃ vṛṇe dharmam amṛtāj jīvitāc ca | rājyaṃ ca putrāṃś ca yaśo dhanaṃ ca sarvaṃ na satyasya kalām upaiti ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Understand my true vow. I choose dharma even above life and even above immortality. Kingdom, sons, fame, and wealth—none of these can attain even a sixteenth part of the worth of truth.”

Word by Word

• {'mama': 'my', 'pratijñā': 'vow, solemn pledge', 'nibodha': 'understand, take heed', 'satyā': 'true, truthful', 'vṛṇe': 'I choose, I prefer', 'dharma': 'righteous duty

• right conduct', 'amṛta': 'immortality

• ambrosia (contextually ‘immortality’)', 'jīvita': 'life', 'rājya': 'kingdom, sovereignty', 'putra': 'sons, children', 'yaśas': 'fame, renown, honor', 'dhana': 'wealth, riches', 'sarva': 'all, everything', 'satya': 'truth

• truthfulness', 'kalā': 'a fraction/part (traditionally one-sixteenth)

• a measure of portion', 'upaiti': 'attains, reaches, comes up to'}

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīmasena
• dharma
• satya
• rājya
• putrāḥ
• yaśas
• dhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Truthfulness and dharma are presented as the highest values—superior even to life, immortality, political power, family continuance, fame, and wealth. The verse ranks ethical integrity above all worldly and even extraordinary rewards.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the forest setting of the Vana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīmasena and declares his steadfast pledge: he will uphold truth and dharma regardless of personal loss, emphasizing why he refuses to compromise moral principle for advantage.