Shloka 16
विहीनान् सर्वकामेभ्यो दासभावमुपागतान् | धर्मपाशपरिक्षिप्तानशक्तानिव विक्रमे
sañjaya uvāca | vihīnān sarvakāmebhyo dāsabhāvam upāgatān | dharmapāśaparikṣiptān aśaktān iva vikrame ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kehilangan segala kenikmatan yang dihajati, jatuh ke dalam keadaan sebagai hamba, dan terikat rapat oleh jerat dharma, mereka tampak seolah-olah tidak berdaya untuk memperlihatkan keberanian mereka.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when wronged, adherence to dharma can restrain immediate retaliation; moral-legal bonds may render the righteous seemingly powerless, highlighting the tension between justice, restraint, and the impulse to use force.
Sañjaya reports the condition of the Pāṇḍavas after their loss: stripped of wealth and autonomy and treated as slaves, they do not act with their usual heroism because they are constrained by dharma and the obligations arising from the dice-game outcome.