Shloka 23
Vāraṇāvata-prasaṃsā and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure (वरणावत-प्रशंसा तथा पाण्डव-प्रयाणम्)
अहो वो धिग् बल क्षात्रं धिगेतां व: कृतास्त्राताम् । भरतस्यान्वये जाता ये वीटां नाधिगच्छत
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | aho vo dhig bala kṣātraṃ dhig etāṃ vaḥ kṛtāstratām | bharatasyānvaye jātā ye vīṭāṃ nādhigacchata ||
Dijo Vaiśaṃpāyana: “¡Vergüenza de vuestra fuerza de kṣatriyas—vergüenza incluso de vuestra pregonada maestría en las armas! Pues, aunque nacidos en el linaje de Bharata, no podéis ni siquiera recuperar una pequeña bola caída en un pozo.”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Lineage and claims of martial excellence carry ethical responsibility: true Kṣatriya worth is shown in effective action and presence of mind, not in pride or mere reputation for weapon-skill.
The speaker delivers a sharp reprimand to warriors who boast of Kṣatriya strength and training in arms, yet fail at a simple practical task—retrieving a small object fallen into a well—exposing the gap between their self-image and their actual capability.