Shloka 18

भীমेन युधिष्ठिरस्य त्यागवृत्तेः प्रतिषेधः

Bhīma’s Rebuttal of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Renunciatory Inclination

Devanagari script

तस्मादिह कृतप्रज्ञास्त्यागं न परिचक्षते । धर्मव्यतिक्रमं चैव मन्यन्ते सूक्ष्मदर्शिन:,अतः (जब कि हमारे ऊपर पूर्वोक्त संकट नहीं आया है) विद्वान्‌ पुरुष ऐसे अवसरमें त्याग या संन्यासकी प्रशंसा नहीं करते हैं। सूक्ष्मदर्शी पुरुष तो ऐसे समयमें क्षत्रियके लिये संन्यास लेना उलटे धर्मका उल्लंघन मानते हैं

Transliteration

tasmādiha kṛtaprajñās tyāgaṃ na paricakṣate | dharmavyatikramaṃ caiva manyante sūkṣmadarśinaḥ ||

Translation

Oleh itu, dalam keadaan ini juga, orang yang berakal mantap tidak memuji penyangkalan atau saṃnyāsa. Mereka yang berpandangan halus malah menganggap renuncia sedemikian—terutama bagi yang terikat pada dharma seorang kṣatriya—sebagai pelanggaran dharma, kerana ia meninggalkan kewajipan yang sepatutnya pada saat genting.

Word by Word

• {'tasmāt': 'therefore, for that reason', 'iha': 'here

• in this situation/context', 'kṛta-prajñāḥ': 'those whose understanding is made firm

• steady-minded, wise', 'tyāgam': 'renunciation

• giving up (of action/claims)', 'na': 'not', 'paricakṣate': 'they declare/commend

• they speak of as praiseworthy', 'dharma-vyatikramam': 'overstepping/violation of dharma

• transgression of rightful duty', 'ca eva': 'and indeed', 'manyante': 'they think/consider', 'sūkṣma-darśinaḥ': 'subtle-seeing

Speaker

भीम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhima

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Renunciation is not automatically virtuous; when it means abandoning one’s rightful duty—especially a kṣatriya’s responsibility in a time of danger—it becomes a breach of dharma rather than a higher spiritual act.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīma argues against praising withdrawal or sannyāsa in the present circumstances, insisting that discerning people see such a move as ethically wrong because it evades the obligations demanded by the situation.