Shloka 3
भীমेन युधिष्ठिरस्य त्यागवृत्तेः प्रतिषेधः
Bhīma’s Rebuttal of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Renunciatory Inclination
क्षमानुकम्पा कारुण्यमानृशंस्यं न विद्यते । क्षात्रमाचरतो मार्गमपि बन्धोस्त्वदन्तरे
kṣamānukampā kāruṇyam ānṛśaṃsyaṃ na vidyate | kṣātram ācarato mārgam api bandhos tvad-antare ||
ക്ഷാത്രമാർഗ്ഗം ആചരിക്കുന്നവന്റെ ഹൃദയത്തിൽ സ്വന്തം ബന്ധുവിനോടുപോലും ക്ഷമ, ദയ, കരുണ, അനൃശ്യംസ്യം (അക്രൂരത) എന്നിവ നിലനിൽക്കില്ല; എങ്കിൽ നിങ്ങളുടെ ഹൃദയത്തിൽ ഇവയെല്ലാം എന്തുകൊണ്ട് ഉണരുന്നു?
भीम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a tension within kṣatriya-dharma: the warrior’s path tends to harden the heart, pushing aside forgiveness and compassion even toward relatives; Bhīma questions why such soft virtues still persist in the listener’s heart, implying an ethical debate between duty and humane restraint.
Bhīma addresses another person (implicitly his brother/kinsman) and argues from the standpoint of warrior conduct: since a kṣatriya must act decisively and without softness even toward kin, he challenges the presence of compassion in the other’s heart, pressing for a stance consistent with martial duty.