Shloka 17
स्त्रीपर्व — गान्धारीभीमसेनसंवादः
Strī-parva — Gāndhārī–Bhīmasena Dialogue on Wartime Conduct
नापराध्यति बीभत्सुर्न च पार्थो वृकोदर: । नकुल: सहदेवश्न नैव जातु युधिछ्िर:,इसमें न तो अर्जुनका अपराध है और न कुन्तीपुत्र भीमसेनका। नकुल-सहदेव और युधिष्ठिरको भी कभी इसके लिये दोष नहीं दिया जा सकता
na aparādhyati bībhatsur na ca pārtho vṛkodaraḥ | nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca naiva jātu yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Dalam hal ini, Bībhatsu (Arjuna) tidak bersalah, dan Vṛkodara (Bhīmasena), putera Pṛthā (Kuntī), juga tidak bersalah. Nakula dan Sahadeva pun tidak dapat dipersalahkan; dan Yudhiṣṭhira tidak sekali-kali patut dituduh atasnya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames moral accountability carefully: even amid catastrophic outcomes, blame should not be assigned indiscriminately. It asserts the Pāṇḍavas’ lack of culpability in the specific matter under discussion, emphasizing restraint and fairness in ethical judgment.
In Strī Parva’s post-war setting, as grief and accusations arise, Vaiśampāyana clarifies that Arjuna, Bhīma, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Yudhiṣṭhira are not at fault for the event being lamented, protecting them from misplaced condemnation.