Shloka 62
युधिछिर उवाच मत्स्य: सुप्तो न निमिषत्यण्डं जातं न चोपति । अश्मनो हृदयं नास्ति नदी वेगेन वर्धते,युधिष्ठिर बोले--मछली सोनेपर भी आँखें नहीं मूँदती, अण्डा उत्पन्न होकर भी चेष्टा नहीं करता, पत्थरमें हृदय नहीं है और नदी वेगसे बढ़ती है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca— matsyaḥ supto na nimiṣaty aṇḍaṃ jātaṃ na copati | aśmano hṛdayaṃ nāsti nadī vegena vardhate ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “A fish, even while asleep, does not blink; an egg, though brought into being, makes no effort; a stone has no heart; and a river swells by the force of its current.” In this reflective utterance, he points to striking natural contrasts—wakefulness without blinking, life-potential without agency, hardness without feeling, and growth driven by momentum—inviting contemplation on what truly constitutes awareness, effort, compassion, and the forces that carry beings forward.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses natural examples to provoke ethical self-examination: mere existence or outward form (like an egg’s being ‘born’) is not the same as conscious effort; hardness (like stone) lacks empathy; and some growth happens through sheer momentum (like a river’s current). It nudges the listener toward cultivating awareness, purposeful action, and a compassionate heart rather than being carried passively by circumstance.
In Vana Parva’s reflective dialogues, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks in aphoristic comparisons drawn from nature. He strings together vivid observations—fish, egg, stone, river—to frame a contemplative point, typical of the parva’s didactic and inquiry-driven tone.