Shloka 17

Arjuna’s Account of Tapas and the Kirāta Test; Revelation of Maheśvara and the Grant of the Pāśupata-Astra

Devanagari script

आत्मज्ञावात्मसम्पन्नौ यमौ चोभौ यथाशद्रिनो: । रक्ष्यास्तद्वन्ममापीह यूयं सर्वे युधिष्ठिर,तात युधिष्ठिर! जैसे अर्जुन देवराज इन्द्रके, भीमसेन वायुदेवके और तुम धर्मराजके योगबलसे उत्पन्न किये हुए निजी पुत्र होनेके कारण उनके द्वारा रक्षणीय हो तथा ये दोनों आत्मबलसम्पन्न नकुल-सहदेव जैसे दोनों अश्विनीकुमारोंसे उत्पन्न होनेके कारण उनके पालनीय हैं, उसी प्रकार यहाँ मेरे लिये भी तुम सब लोग रक्षणीय हो

Transliteration

dhanada uvāca | ātmajñāv ātmasaṃpannau yamau cobhau yathāśvinau | rakṣyās tadvan mamāpīha yūyaṃ sarve yudhiṣṭhira, tāta yudhiṣṭhira |

Translation

Dhanada said: “The twin brothers, endowed with self-knowledge and inner strength, are to be protected—just as the two Aśvin twins protect their own. In the same way, O Yudhiṣṭhira, my dear child, all of you here are to be protectors for me as well.”

Word by Word

आत्मज्ञौself-knowing, wise (two)

आत्मसम्पन्नौendowed with self-power/inner strength (two)

यमौthe twins

चand

उभौboth

यथाas, just as

अश्विनोःof the two Aśvins

रक्ष्याःto be protected, protectable

तद्वत्likewise, in the same way

ममof me, my

अपिalso, even

इहhere

यूयम्you (all)

सर्वेall

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

तातdear one, son (term of address)

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

धनद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhanada (Kubera)

Yudhiṣṭhira

the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva)

the Aśvins (Aśvinīkumāras)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Those who possess self-knowledge and inner strength are worthy of protection, and protection is also reciprocal: even a powerful being (Dhanada/Kubera) frames ethical duty as mutual guardianship grounded in relationship and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhanada addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and refers to the Pāṇḍavas’ divine connections, especially the twins’ descent from the Aśvins, to emphasize that the brothers are to be protected—and that, in this situation, Dhanada also looks to them as his protectors.