Shloka 12

ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः

Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच एवमेतन्न संदेहो रमे5हं सतत द्विजै: । न्यूनभावात्‌ तु पश्यामि प्रत्यादेशमिवात्मन:,युधिष्ठिरने कहा--महात्माओ! आपका कहना ठीक है। इसमें संदेह नहीं कि मैं सदा ब्राह्मणोंके साथ रहनेमें ही प्रसन्नताका अनुभव करता हूँ, किंतु इस समय धन आदिसे हीन होनेके कारण मैं देख रहा हूँ कि मेरे लिये यह अपकीर्तिकी-सी बात है

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—evam etan na saṃdeho rame'haṃ satataṃ dvijaiḥ | nyūnabhāvāt tu paśyāmi pratyādeśam ivātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Yudhiṣṭhira: “Gayon nga; walang alinlangan. Lagi kong ikinagagalak ang makasama ang mga ‘dalawang ulit na isinilang’ (mga brāhmaṇa). Ngunit ngayon, dahil ako’y napasadsad sa kakapusan, wari ko’y may panunumbat na ibinabato sa aking sarili—na parang tatak ng kahihiyan.”

Word by Word

• {'evam etat': 'so it is

• exactly so', 'na saṃdehaḥ': 'no doubt

• no uncertainty', 'rame': 'I delight

• I take pleasure', 'satatam': 'always

• continually', 'dvijaiḥ': 'with the twice-born

• especially brāhmaṇas', 'nyūnabhāvāt': 'from a state of deficiency

• due to lack/poverty', 'tu': 'but

• however', 'paśyāmi': 'I see

• I perceive', 'pratyādeśam': 'reproach

• rejection (as if a dismissive censure)', 'iva': 'as if

• like', 'ātmanaḥ': 'of myself

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• dvija (brāhmaṇas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Yudhiṣṭhira affirms that true joy lies in virtuous company (especially brāhmaṇas), yet he also recognizes how material deprivation can expose a painful social and inner vulnerability—honor feels threatened when one cannot uphold expected duties of generosity and support.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the early Vana Parva context, Yudhiṣṭhira responds to counsel by agreeing wholeheartedly, stating that he delights in the company of brāhmaṇas; however, in their present reduced condition, he feels as though his lack of wealth brings a kind of reproach upon himself.