Shloka 12
Kubera’s Arrival and the Disclosure of Agastya’s Curse
Vaiśaṃpāyana–Janamejaya Narrative
तमब्रवीद् धर्मराजो ह्वियमाणो युधिष्ठिर: । धर्मस्ते हीयते मूढ न तत्त्वं समवेक्षसे
tam abravīd dharmarājo hviyamāṇo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | dharmas te hīyate mūḍha na tattvaṃ samavekṣase ||
Yudhiṣṭhira, the king devoted to dharma, addressed him while being challenged and provoked: “Foolish man, your righteousness is diminishing; you do not truly discern the reality of the matter.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not merely a label or intention; it requires clear discernment of tattva (the real nature of a situation). When one acts from delusion or provocation, one’s dharma ‘diminishes’—ethical standing erodes through failure to see rightly.
In the Vana Parva context, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks as a moral authority while being challenged or provoked. He rebukes the other party for losing dharma and for lacking true understanding, framing the conflict as one of ethical perception rather than mere argument.