Shloka 27
भীমेन युधिष्ठिरस्य त्यागवृत्तेः प्रतिषेधः
Bhīma’s Rebuttal of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Renunciatory Inclination
औदका: सृष्टयश्चैव जन्तव: सिद्धिमाप्रुयु: । तेषामात्मैव भर्तव्यो नान्य: कश्नन विद्यते
audakāḥ sṛṣṭayaś caiva jantavaḥ siddhim āpruyuḥ | teṣām ātmā eva bhartavyo nānyaḥ kaścana vidyate ||
毗摩说道：“若仅凭自我维持便足以获得灵性圆满，那么水中生灵乃至不动之类也必定会获得圆满。因为它们只需养活自己——并无他者需要它们负担供养。”
भीम उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīma argues that spiritual success (siddhi) cannot be reduced to merely feeding and sustaining oneself. If that alone produced perfection, then beings that naturally live by simple self-preservation—like aquatic creatures and even immobile life—would automatically attain siddhi. The implied ethical point is that dharma involves more than self-care; it includes responsibility, service, and sustaining others where appropriate.
In the Śānti Parva’s reflective discussions on dharma after the war, Bhīma speaks critically against an overly simplistic claim that renunciation or minimal self-maintenance is sufficient for spiritual attainment. He uses a pointed analogy—water-dwelling and other non-social beings—to challenge that view and to emphasize a more demanding understanding of righteous living.