Mahabharata 3.141.4 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 141, Shloka 4
गन्धमादन-हिमवत्प्रयाणे युधिष्ठिर-भीमसंवादः
Yudhiṣṭhira–Bhīma Dialogue on the Gandhamādana–Himavat Ascent
अथवा सहदेवेन धौम्येन च सम॑ विभो । सूतै: पौरोगवैश्वैव सर्वैश्व॒ परिचारकै:
athavā sahadevena dhaumyena ca samaṁ vibho | sūtaiḥ paurogavaiś caiva sarvaiś ca paricārakaiḥ |
യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ഹേ മഹാബലവാനേ! അല്ലെങ്കിൽ സഹദേവനും ധൗമ്യനും കൂടെ, സാരഥിമാരും പാചകരും എല്ലാ പരിചാരകരും സഹിതം ഇവിടെ നിന്നുതന്നെ മടങ്ങിപ്പോവുക.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A leader should weigh duty against capacity: those assigned supportive roles (servants, charioteers, cooks) should not be compelled into excessive hardship; responsibility should be distributed with compassion and propriety (dharma).
Yudhiṣṭhira proposes an alternative course: that Sahadeva, Dhaumya, and the service staff (drivers, cooks, attendants) should turn back from the present point, implying the journey ahead is difficult and should be undertaken only by those prepared to endure it.
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