Mahabharata 4.13.20 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 20
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 13 — Kīcaka’s Proposition and Draupadī’s Dharmic Refusal
नोद्यमानस्तदा भीमो दुःखेनैवाकरोन्मतिम् | न हि शक्नोति विवृते प्रत्याख्यातुं नराधिपम्
nodyamānas tadā bhīmo duḥkhenaivākaron matim | na hi śaknoti vivṛte pratyākhyātuṃ narādhipam ||
اس وقت بادشاہ کے ابھارنے پر بھی بھیم سین نے—پہچانے جانے کے خوف سے—غمگین دل کے ساتھ لڑنے کا ارادہ کیا؛ کیونکہ وہ علانیہ طور پر نرادھپ (بادشاہ) کی بات ٹال نہیں سکتا تھا۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between prudence and duty: Bhīma must protect the larger dharmic goal of remaining undiscovered, yet he also cannot publicly defy the king’s command. It portrays self-restraint and strategic compliance under authority when a higher responsibility is at stake.
In the Virāṭa episode, Bhīma is living incognito. When the king urges action, Bhīma—despite anxiety about being recognized—decides to fight, because an open refusal would draw attention and would be improper toward the king.
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