Shloka 38

Devanagari script

पास्यामि तावत्‌ पानीयमिति पार्थो वृकोदर: । ततो<भ्यधावत्‌ पानीयं पिपासु: पुरुषर्षभ:

Transliteration

pāsyāmi tāvat pānīyam iti pārtho vṛkodaraḥ | tato 'bhyadhāvat pānīyaṃ pipāsuḥ puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||

Translation

«Сначала я поищу воды», — сказал Партха (Арджуна) Врикодаре (Бхиме). И тогда этот бык среди людей, терзаемый жаждой, стремглав бросился к воде — тем самым приводя в движение нравственное испытание, которое вскоре потребует сдержанности, благоговения и послушания праведному наставлению, а не порыва, рожденного нуждой.

Word by Word

पश्यामिI see

तावत्for the time being / then / just so much

पानीयम्water (drinkable water)

इतिthus (quotative)

पार्थःPārtha (Arjuna)

वृकोदरःVṛkodara (Bhīma; lit. 'wolf-bellied')

ततःthen / from there

अभ्यधावत्ran towards

पानीयम्water

पिपासुःthirsty

पुरुषर्षभःbest of men / bull among men

Speaker

यक्ष उवाच

Characters & Entities

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Vṛkodara (Bhīma)

pānīya (drinking water)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even urgent bodily need should be governed by discernment and dharma; rushing to satisfy desire without heeding warnings or proper procedure invites consequences and becomes a setup for ethical examination.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna tells Bhīma that he will first look for water; immediately afterward, the thirsty hero rushes toward the water, foreshadowing the Yakṣa’s impending challenge and the moral stakes of acting on impulse.