Shloka 38
पास्यामि तावत् पानीयमिति पार्थो वृकोदर: । ततो<भ्यधावत् पानीयं पिपासु: पुरुषर्षभ:
pāsyāmi tāvat pānīyam iti pārtho vṛkodaraḥ | tato 'bhyadhāvat pānīyaṃ pipāsuḥ puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||
‘I will first look for water,’ said Pārtha (Arjuna) to Vṛkodara (Bhīma). Then that bull among men, tormented by thirst, hurried toward the water—setting in motion the moral test that will soon demand restraint, reverence, and obedience to rightful counsel rather than impulsive need.
यक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even urgent bodily need should be governed by discernment and dharma; rushing to satisfy desire without heeding warnings or proper procedure invites consequences and becomes a setup for ethical examination.
Arjuna tells Bhīma that he will first look for water; immediately afterward, the thirsty hero rushes toward the water, foreshadowing the Yakṣa’s impending challenge and the moral stakes of acting on impulse.