Shloka 14
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproof and Vow-Logic: On Dice-Deception, Exile Terms, and the Governance of Anger
Adhyāya 35
नकुल: सहदेवश्व वृद्धा माता च वीरसू: । तवैव प्रियमिच्छन्त आसते जडमूकवत्,नकुल, सहदेव तथा वीरपुत्रोंको जन्म देनेवाली हमारी बूढ़ी माता कुन्ती--ये सब-के- सब आपका प्रिय करनेकी इच्छा रखकर ही मूर्खों और गूँगोंकी भाँति चुप रहते हैं
nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca vṛddhā mātā ca vīrasūḥ | tavaiva priyam icchantāsate jaḍamūkavat ||
Bhīmasena said: “Nakula and Sahadeva, and our aged mother Kuntī—she who bore heroes—remain silent like the dull and the mute, solely because they wish to do what is pleasing to you. Their restraint is not weakness, but a deliberate choice to preserve harmony and honor within the family.”
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical restraint: sometimes the righteous choose silence not from incapacity but from respect, loyalty, and the desire to avoid harm. Self-control in speech can be an expression of dharma, especially within family relationships.
Bhīma points out that Nakula, Sahadeva, and their elderly mother Kuntī are keeping quiet ‘like the mute’ because they want to please the person being addressed. He implies their silence is intentional and motivated by regard, not ignorance.