Shloka 16

भীমेन युधिष्ठिरस्य त्यागवृत्तेः प्रतिषेधः

Bhīma’s Rebuttal of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Renunciatory Inclination

Devanagari script

अगतीकगतीनस्मान्‌ नष्टार्थानर्थसिद्धये । कथं वै नानुपश्येयुर्जना: पश्यत यादृशम्‌,हमलोग पहले अशरण मनुष्योंको शरण देनेवाले थे; किंतु अब हमारा ही अर्थ नष्ट हो गया है। ऐसी दशामें अर्थसिद्धिके लिये हमारा आश्रय लेनेवाले लोग हमारी इस दुर्बलतापर कैसे दृष्टि नहीं डालेंगे? बन्धुओ! मेरा कथन कैसा है? इसपर विचार करो

Transliteration

agatīkagatīn asmān naṣṭārthān arthasiddhaye | kathaṃ vai nānupaśyeyur janāḥ paśyata yādṛśam |

Translation

భీముడు పలికెను—మేము ఒకప్పుడు ఆశ్రయహీనులకు ఆశ్రయము, గతి లేనివారికి గతి; కాని ఇప్పుడు మా స్వార్థమే నశించింది. ఇలాంటి స్థితిలో తమ కార్యసిద్ధికై మా ఆశ్రయము కోరువారు మా ఈ బలహీనతను ఎలా గమనించరు? బంధువులారా, నా మాట ఎలా ఉందో ఆలోచించండి.

Word by Word

• {'agatīka-gatīn': 'those who are a ‘way’ (refuge/recourse) for the wayless

• protectors of the helpless', 'asmān': 'us', 'naṣṭa-arthān': 'those whose artha (means, power, purpose, resources) is lost

• ruined in capacity', 'artha-siddhaye': 'for the accomplishment of aims

• for success in worldly objectives', 'katham': 'how?', 'vai': 'indeed, surely (emphatic particle)', 'na anupaśyeyuḥ': 'would not notice/observe

• would fail to perceive', 'janāḥ': 'people', 'paśyata': 'look! behold! (imperative)', 'yādṛśam': 'what sort (of state)

Speaker

भीम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhima
• kinsmen/bandhus (addressed collectively)
• people (janāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A leader’s moral authority rests on the capacity to protect and support others; when that capacity collapses, dependents inevitably perceive the weakness. The verse highlights the ethical burden of being a refuge and the shame and social consequences of losing that role.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhima laments that those who once served as shelter for the helpless are now themselves diminished. He anticipates that people who used to rely on them for achieving their aims will clearly see their present frailty, and he asks his kinsmen to reflect on his assessment.