Shloka 18

Devanagari script

शीलदोषाद्‌ घृणाविष्ट आनृशंस्यात्‌ परंतप । क्लेशांस्तितिक्षसे राजन्‌ नान्य: कश्चिचत्‌ प्रशंसति,परंतप युधिष्ठिर! आप शील-स्वभावके दोष और कोमलतासे एवं दयाभावसे युक्त होनेके कारण इतने क्लेश सह रहे हैं, परंतु महाराज! इसके लिये आपकी कोई प्रशंसा नहीं करता है

Transliteration

bhīmasena uvāca | śīladoṣād ghṛṇāviṣṭa ānṛśaṁsyāt paraṁtapa | kleśāṁs titikṣase rājan nānyaḥ kaścit praśaṁsati |

Translation

Bhīma said: “O scorcher of foes, because of a flaw in your very disposition—being overcome by tenderness and moved by compassion—you endure these hardships. Yet, O King, no one praises you for bearing such suffering.”

Word by Word

शीलदोषात्from the fault of (your) disposition

घृणाविष्टःpossessed/overcome by compassion

आनृशंस्यात्from non-cruelty/mercifulness

परंतपO scorcher of foes

क्लेशान्afflictions, hardships

तितिक्षसेyou endure, you bear

राजन्O king

नnot

अन्यःanother (person)

कश्चित्anyone, someone

प्रशंसतिpraises

परंतपO scorcher of foes

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

भीमसेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Yudhiṣṭhira

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts compassion and forbearance with pragmatic royal duty: endurance born of soft-heartedness may not earn social praise, and a ruler must weigh mercy against the demands of justice and protection.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīma addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, criticizing his gentle, compassionate temperament as the reason he tolerates severe hardships; Bhīma adds that such suffering is not even publicly commended, implying it is ineffective or misplaced.