Shloka 12
Adhyāya 3: Indra’s Invitation and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Refusal to Abandon the Dog
Svargārohaṇa Test
भीतं भक्त नान्यदस्तीति चार्त॑ प्राप्तं क्षीणं रक्षणे प्राणलिप्सुम् । प्राणत्यागादप्यहं नैव मोक्तुं यतेयं वै नित्यमेतद् व्रतं मे,जो डरा हुआ हो, भक्त हो, मेरा दूसरा कोई सहारा नहीं है--ऐसा कहते हुए आर्तभावसे शरणमें आया हो, अपनी रक्षामें असमर्थ--दुर्बल हो और अपने प्राण बचाना चाहता हो, ऐसे पुरुषको प्राण जानेपर भी मैं नहीं छोड़ सकता; यह मेरा सदाका व्रत है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | bhītaṃ bhaktaṃ nānyad astīti cārtaṃ prāptaṃ kṣīṇaṃ rakṣaṇe prāṇalipsum | prāṇatyāgād apy ahaṃ naiva moktuṃ yateyaṃ vai nityam etad vrataṃ me ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Even if my own life must be given up, I cannot abandon a man who comes to me in fear and devotion, crying, ‘I have no other refuge,’ who is distressed, weakened and unable to protect himself, and who seeks only to preserve his life. This is my constant vow—ever to strive to protect such a suppliant.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma is to protect those who seek refuge—especially the fearful, weak, and distressed—even when doing so entails personal risk. The verse frames protection of the suppliant as a lifelong vow (vrata), not a situational choice.
In the Mahāprasthānika context, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates his unwavering ethical commitment: anyone who approaches him in distress, declaring there is no other refuge, must not be abandoned. It underscores his identity as a dharmic king even at the end of his journey.