Shloka 25

Sātyaki’s Call for Intervention and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Vow-Bound Restraint (सात्यकिवाक्यं—धर्मराजस्य धैर्यनिश्चयः)

Devanagari script

उभौ हि युद्धे5प्रतिमौ पृथिव्यां वृकोदरश्रैव धनंजयश्न । कस्मान्न कृत्स्नां पृथिवीं प्रशासे- न्माद्रीसुताभ्यां च पुरस्कृतोडयम्‌,भीमसेन और अर्जन--ये दोनों वीर युद्धमें इस पृथ्वीपर अपना सानी नहीं रखते। इनसे और दोनों माद्रीकुमारोंसे संयुक्त होनेपर ये युधिष्ठिर सारी पृथ्वीका शासन कैसे नहीं कर सकते?

Transliteration

ubhau hi yuddhe ’pratimau pṛthivyāṃ vṛkodaraś caiva dhanaṃjayaś ca | kasmān na kṛtsnāṃ pṛthivīṃ praśāsen mādrīsutābhyāṃ ca puraskṛto ’yam ||

Translation

風神ヴāユは言った。「この地上において、ヴリコーダラ（ビーマ）とダナンジャヤ（アルジュナ）の二人は戦に比肩する者がない。この二人に加え、マードリーの二子が傍らにいるなら、ユディシュティラが全地を治められぬはずがあろうか。」

Word by Word

उभौboth

हिindeed/for

युद्धेin battle

अप्रतिमौunequalled

पृथिव्याम्on the earth

वृकोदरःVrikodara (Bhima)

चand

एवcertainly/just

धनंजयःDhananjaya (Arjuna)

चand

कस्मात्why/from what reason

नnot

कृत्स्नाम्entire/whole

पृथिवीम्the earth

प्रशासेत्should rule/govern

माद्रीसुताभ्याम्by/with the two sons of Madri (Nakula and Sahadeva)

चand

पुरस्कृतःhaving placed in front/being accompanied (with as leaders)

अयम्this (man, i.e., Yudhishthira)

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वायुदेव (Vāyu)

व

वृकोदर (Bhīma)

ध

धनंजय (Arjuna)

म

माद्री (Mādrī)

म

माद्रीसुतौ (Nakula, Sahadeva)

य

युधिष्ठिर (Yudhiṣṭhira)

प

पृथिवी (the earth/kingdom)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the dharmic logic of kingship: when a righteous claimant is supported by extraordinary strength and capable allies, he bears both the capacity and the implied responsibility to govern for the welfare of the whole realm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu praises the unmatched martial prowess of Bhīma and Arjuna and points out that, together with Nakula and Sahadeva, their combined support makes Yudhiṣṭhira fully capable of ruling the entire earth.