Shloka 20
Indrajit’s Binding, Restoration by Viśalyā, and Counsel Restraining Rāvaṇa (Āraṇyaka Parva 273)
तमुवाच घृणी राजा धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर: । तथा जयद्रथं दृष्टवा गृहीत॑ं सव्यसाचिना,उस समय (आदर देते हुए) अर्जुनने जयद्रथका हाथ थाम लिया। तब दयालु राजा धर्मपुत्र युधिष्ठिरने जयद्रथकी ओर देखकर कहा--
tam uvāca ghṛṇī rājā dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | tathā jayadrathaṃ dṛṣṭvā gṛhītaṃ savyasācinā |
Then the compassionate king Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Dharma, spoke. Seeing Jayadratha held fast by the ambidextrous Arjuna, he addressed him—framing the moment not merely as a victory over an offender, but as a test of restraint, justice, and righteous conduct in the aftermath of wrongdoing.
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power over an enemy is not the end of dharma; it begins a moral trial. Yudhiṣṭhira’s compassion signals that righteous rule weighs punishment against justice and restraint, especially when the offender is already subdued.
Arjuna has seized Jayadratha, and Yudhiṣṭhira—described as compassionate—turns to address Jayadratha. The verse sets up Yudhiṣṭhira’s response to the captured offender, highlighting ethical judgment in a tense moment.