Shloka 17
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५९
Arjuna Breaks the Encirclement; Bhīma Reinforces
उपवासकृशो राजा भृशं भरतसत्तम: । ब्राह्मे बले स्थितो होष न क्षात्रे हि बले विभुः,“भरतकुलशिरोमणि राजा युधिष्ठिर उपवास करनेसे अत्यन्त दुर्बल हो गये हैं। ये ब्राह्मबलमें स्थित हैं, क्षात्रबल प्रकट करनेमें समर्थ नहीं हैं
upavāsa-kṛśo rājā bhṛśaṃ bharata-sattamaḥ | brāhme bale sthito hoṣa na kṣātre hi bale vibhuḥ ||
ഭരതശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ രാജാവ് യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ ഉപവാസം മൂലം അത്യന്തം ക്ഷീണിച്ചു. അവൻ ഇപ്പോൾ ബ്രാഹ്മബലം—സംയമവും തപസ്സും—അതിനിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു; ക്ഷാത്രബലം പ്രകടിപ്പിക്കാൻ അവനാകുന്നില്ല.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts two kinds of power: brāhma-bala (restraint, spiritual discipline, moral authority) and kṣātra-bala (martial vigor and the capacity to fight). It suggests that excessive ascetic practice like fasting can diminish a king’s ability to perform kṣatriya-duty in war, raising an ethical tension between personal austerity and public responsibility.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Yudhiṣṭhira has become extremely weak due to fasting. Because of this, he is described as being in a brahmanical mode of strength rather than displaying the warrior’s strength needed on the battlefield.