Shloka 130
धर्मशील: सदा राजा इति मां मानवा विदु: । स्वधर्मान्न चलिष्यामि नकुलो यक्ष जीवतु
dharmaśīlaḥ sadā rājā iti māṃ mānavā viduḥ | svadharmān na caliṣyāmi nakulo yakṣa jīvatu ||
Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Người đời biết ta là một bậc vương luôn giữ gìn dharma. Vì thế ta sẽ không rời bỏ bổn phận chính đáng của mình. Hỡi Yakṣa, xin cho Nakula được sống.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness in svadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira grounds his choice in the public trust placed in him as a dharma-centered king and refuses to abandon righteous duty even under pressure, showing that ethical identity must be upheld through action.
During the Yakṣa’s ordeal at the lake, Yudhiṣṭhira is offered the chance to revive one of his fallen brothers. He addresses the Yakṣa and asks that Nakula be restored to life, explicitly stating that he will not deviate from dharma in making this choice.