Shloka 124

Devanagari script

यक्ष उवाच प्रियस्ते भीमसेनो5यमर्जुनो व: परायणम्‌ | स कस्मान्नकुलं राजन्‌ सापत्नं जीवमिच्छसि

Transliteration

yakṣa uvāca priyaste bhīmaseno ’yam arjuno vaḥ parāyaṇam | sa kasmān nakulaṃ rājan sāpātnaṃ jīvam icchasi ||

Translation

Dạ-xoa nói: “Tâu đại vương, Bhīmasena này là người được ngài yêu quý, còn Arjuna này là chỗ nương tựa lớn nhất của ngài. Bỏ họ sang một bên, cớ sao ngài lại muốn cho Nakula—người em cùng cha khác mẹ—được sống lại?”

Word by Word

• यक्षः: the Yaksha
• यक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रियः: dear
• प्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: 2nd, Dative, Singular

• भीमसेनः: Bhimasena
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वः: of you (all), your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: 2nd, Genitive, Plural

• परायणम्: chief refuge/support
• परायणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परायण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सः: you/he (that one)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कस्मात्: from what cause? why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• नकुलम्: Nakula
• नकुलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सापत्नम्: having co-wives; (here) step-/rival-brother
• सापत्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सापत्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जीवम्: alive, living
• जीवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छसि: you wish/desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

यक्ष उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yaksha
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīmasena (Bhima)
• Arjuna
• Nakula

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharma-test: true righteousness is not guided by personal preference or strategic advantage. The Yaksha challenges the king to justify choosing the life of a half-brother over the more ‘useful’ or more beloved brothers, probing impartiality, fairness to all mothers in the family, and commitment to ethical duty beyond self-interest.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Yaksha–Yudhiṣṭhira dialogue at the forest lake, the Yaksha questions the king after his brothers have fallen. Here the Yaksha points out that Bhima is dear and Arjuna is the main support, and asks why, instead of them, Yudhiṣṭhira wishes Nakula—his half-brother—to be restored to life.