Shloka 16

भীমेन युधिष्ठिरस्य त्यागवृत्तेः प्रतिषेधः

Bhīma’s Rebuttal of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Renunciatory Inclination

Devanagari script

अगतीकगतीनस्मान्‌ नष्टार्थानर्थसिद्धये । कथं वै नानुपश्येयुर्जना: पश्यत यादृशम्‌

Transliteration

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

Translation

Bhima nói: “Xưa kia chúng ta từng là nơi nương tựa của kẻ không nơi nương tựa, là con đường cho người lạc lối. Nhưng nay chính sức lực và chí hướng của ta đã tiêu tan. Trong cảnh ấy, làm sao những kẻ tìm thành tựu bằng cách đến nương nhờ ta lại không nhận ra sự yếu kém của ta? Hỡi bà con, hãy suy xét lời ta: các ngươi nghĩ sao?”

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.