Shloka 17

Devanagari script

प्रीतो धर्मात्मजो राजा बभूवातीव भारत । अर्जुनप्रमुखाश्नापि तथेत्येवाब्रुवन्‌ वच:,भारत! भीमसेनका यह कथन सुनकर धर्मपुत्र राजा युधिष्ठिर बहुत प्रसन्न हुए। अर्जुन आदिने भी बहुत ठीक कहकर उन्हींकी बातका समर्थन किया

Transliteration

prīto dharmātmajo rājā babhūvātīva bhārata | arjunapramukhāś cāpi tathety evābruvan vacaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: O Bhārata, the righteous king, the son of Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira), became exceedingly pleased. Arjuna and the others as well replied, “So be it,” thereby endorsing those words—signaling concord among the Pāṇḍavas and approval of the counsel just spoken (by Bhīmasena).

Word by Word

प्रीतःpleased, delighted

धर्मात्मजःson of Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira)

राजाking

बभूवbecame, was

अतीवvery, exceedingly

भारतO Bhārata

अर्जुनप्रमुखाःthose headed by Arjuna

अपिalso

तथाso, thus

इतिthus (quotative)

एवindeed, just

अब्रुवन्they said

वचःspeech, words

भारतO Bhārata

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhārata (Janamejaya)

Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja, Dharmātmaja)

Arjuna

Pāṇḍavas (implied by 'Arjuna and the others')

Bhīmasena (contextual referent of 'those words')

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?

Righteous leadership is strengthened when wise counsel is received with humility and when allies (here, brothers) affirm a shared course of action; ethical governance thrives on concord grounded in dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing Bhīmasena’s statement, Yudhiṣṭhira becomes very pleased, and Arjuna along with the others voice agreement—‘tathā iti’—publicly confirming and supporting the proposal or counsel just expressed.