Shloka 12
Adhyāya 3: Indra’s Invitation and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Refusal to Abandon the Dog
Svargārohaṇa Test
भीतं भक्त नान्यदस्तीति चार्त॑ प्राप्तं क्षीणं रक्षणे प्राणलिप्सुम् । प्राणत्यागादप्यहं नैव मोक्तुं यतेयं वै नित्यमेतद् व्रतं मे
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | bhītaṃ bhaktaṃ nānyad astīti cārtaṃ prāptaṃ kṣīṇaṃ rakṣaṇe prāṇalipsum | prāṇatyāgād apy ahaṃ naiva moktuṃ yateyaṃ vai nityam etad vrataṃ me ||
ຢຸທິສຖິຣະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ແມ່ນແຕ່ຈະຕ້ອງສະຫຼະຊີວິດຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າເອງ ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າກໍບໍ່ອາດປະຖິ້ມຜູ້ທີ່ມາດ້ວຍຄວາມຢ້ານກົວ ແລະ ຄວາມຈົ່ງຮັກພັກດີ ຮ້ອງວ່າ ‘ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າບໍ່ມີທີ່ພຶ່ງອື່ນ’ ຜູ້ທຸກທໍລະມານ ອ່ອນແອ ແລະ ບໍ່ສາມາດປົກປ້ອງຕົນເອງ ແລະ ປາຖະໜາພຽງແຕ່ຮັກສາຊີວິດ. ນີ້ແມ່ນວຣະຕະຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຕະຫຼອດໄປ—ຈະພະຍາຍາມປົກປ້ອງຜູ້ມາຂໍພຶ່ງພາເຊັ່ນນັ້ນເສມອ».
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma is to protect those who seek refuge—especially the fearful, weak, and distressed—even when doing so entails personal risk. The verse frames protection of the suppliant as a lifelong vow (vrata), not a situational choice.
In the Mahāprasthānika context, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates his unwavering ethical commitment: anyone who approaches him in distress, declaring there is no other refuge, must not be abandoned. It underscores his identity as a dharmic king even at the end of his journey.