Shloka 15
Adhyāya 136: Yavakrī–Bharadvāja Saṃvāda and the Bāladhī–Dhanuṣākṣa Gāthā
Arrogance, Boons, and Nimitta
यवक्री: पितरं दृष्टवा तपस्विनमसत्कृतम् । दृष्टवा च सत्कृतं विप्रै रैभ्यं पुत्रै: सहानघ,निष्पाप युधिष्ठिर! यवक्रीतने देखा, मेरे तपस्वी पिताका लोग सत्कार नहीं करते हैं; परंतु पुत्रोंसहित रैभ्यका ब्राह्मणोंद्वारा बड़ा आदर होता है
Yavakrīḥ pitaraṃ dṛṣṭvā tapasvinam asatkṛtam | dṛṣṭvā ca satkṛtaṃ viprair Raibhyaṃ putraiḥ sahānagha niṣpāpa Yudhiṣṭhira |
Dijo Lomaśa: «Oh Yudhiṣṭhira sin mancha, cuando Yavakrī vio que a su propio padre—un asceta—no se le rendía el debido honor, mientras que Raibhya, junto con sus hijos, era altamente venerado por los brāhmaṇas, nació en él un resentimiento doloroso. De ese contraste entre honra y desdén se sembró la semilla de la rivalidad y del empeño extraviado.»
लोमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how attachment to social recognition can distort judgment: comparing honor received by others with neglect shown to one’s own can breed envy and lead to unethical choices. Dharma calls for steadiness, humility, and right intention rather than status-driven resentment.
Lomaśa narrates that Yavakrī observes a contrast: his ascetic father is not properly honored, while Raibhya and his sons are greatly respected by brāhmaṇas. This observation becomes a turning point that fuels Yavakrī’s inner conflict and sets the stage for subsequent actions in the episode.