Shloka 18

भীমेन युधिष्ठिरस्य त्यागवृत्तेः प्रतिषेधः

Bhīma’s Rebuttal of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Renunciatory Inclination

Devanagari script

तस्मादिह कृतप्रज्ञास्त्यागं न परिचक्षते । धर्मव्यतिक्रमं चैव मन्यन्ते सूक्ष्मदर्शिन:

Transliteration

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

Translation

Kaya nga, sa ganitong kalagayan, ang mga taong may matatag na pag-unawa ay hindi pumupuri sa pagtalikod o saṃnyāsa. At yaong may masusing pagtanaw ay itinuturing pa ang gayong pagtalikod—lalo na para sa nakatali sa tungkulin ng kṣatriya—na paglabag sa dharma, sapagkat iniiwan nito ang nararapat na pananagutan sa oras ng pagsubok.

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.