Mahabharata 3.296.1-4

Devanāgarī

युधिष्ठिर उवाच
नापदाम् अस्ति मर्यादा न निमित्तं न कारणम् ॥
धर्मस् तु विभजत्य् अत्र उभयोः पुण्यपापयोः ॥
भीम उवाच
प्रातिकाम्य् अनयत् कृष्णां सभायां प्रेष्यवत् तदा ॥
न मया निहतस् तत्र तेन प्राप्ताः स्म संशयम् ॥
अर्जुन उवाच
वाचस् तीक्ष्णास्थिभेदिन्यः सूतपुत्रेण भाषिताः ॥
अतितीक्ष्णा मया क्षान्तास् तेन प्राप्ताः स्म संशयम् ॥
सहदेव उवाच
शकुनिस् त्वां यदाजैषीद् अक्षद्यूतेन भारत ॥
स मया न हतस् तत्र तेन प्राप्ताः स्म संशयम् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
nāpadām asti maryādā na nimittaṃ na kāraṇam ||
dharmas tu vibhajaty atra ubhayoḥ puṇyapāpayoḥ ||
bhīma uvāca
prātikāmy anayat kṛṣṇāṃ sabhāyāṃ preṣyavat tadā ||
na mayā nihatas tatra tena prāptāḥ sma saṃśayam ||
arjuna uvāca
vācas tīkṣṇāsthibhedinyaḥ sūtaputreṇa bhāṣitāḥ ||
atitīkṣṇā mayā kṣāntās tena prāptāḥ sma saṃśayam ||
sahadeva uvāca
śakunis tvāṃ yadājaiṣīd akṣadyūtena bhārata ||
sa mayā na hatas tatra tena prāptāḥ sma saṃśayam ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

युधिष्ठिर उवाच नापदाम् अस्ति मर्यादा न निमित्तं न कारणम् ॥ धर्मस् तु विभजत्य् अत्र उभयोः पुण्यपापयोः ॥ भीम उवाच प्रातिकाम्य् अनयत् कृष्णां सभायां प्रेष्यवत् तदा ॥ न मया निहतस् तत्र तेन प्राप्ताः स्म संशयम् ॥ अर्जुन उवाच वाचस् तीक्ष्णास्थिभेदिन्यः सूतपुत्रेण भाषिताः ॥ अतितीक्ष्णा मया क्षान्तास् तेन प्राप्ताः स्म संशयम् ॥ सहदेव उवाच शकुनिस् त्वां यदाजैषीद् अक्षद्यूतेन भारत ॥ स मया न हतस् तत्र तेन प्राप्ताः स्म संशयम् ॥yudhiṣṭhira uvāca nāpadām asti maryādā na nimittaṃ na kāraṇam || dharmas tu vibhajaty atra ubhayoḥ puṇyapāpayoḥ || bhīma uvāca prātikāmy anayat kṛṣṇāṃ sabhāyāṃ preṣyavat tadā || na mayā nihatas tatra tena prāptāḥ sma saṃśayam || arjuna uvāca vācas tīkṣṇāsthibhedinyaḥ sūtaputreṇa bhāṣitāḥ || atitīkṣṇā mayā kṣāntās tena prāptāḥ sma saṃśayam || sahadeva uvāca śakunis tvāṃ yadājaiṣīd akṣadyūtena bhārata || sa mayā na hatas tatra tena prāptāḥ sma saṃśayam ||Yudhishthira answers that misfortunes have no boundary, no sign, and no cause, but dharma divides the fruit of good and evil; Bhima says that they have fallen into doubt because he did not then kill Pratikamin, who led Krishna into the assembly as a slave-girl; Arjuna says the cause is that he endured the sharp, bone-piercing words of the suta's son; Sahadeva says that he did not kill Shakuni when he defeated Yudhishthira at dice.

Translation

Yudhishthira said: 'Misfortunes have no boundary, no sign, and no cause; here dharma divides the fruit of good and evil.' Bhima said: 'Pratikamin then led Krishna into the assembly as a slave-girl, and I did not kill him; that is why we have fallen into doubt.' Arjuna said: 'The suta's son spoke sharp, bone-piercing words, and I endured them; that is why we have fallen into doubt.' Sahadeva said: 'Shakuni defeated you at dice, Bharata, and I did not kill him; that is why we have fallen into doubt.'

Commentary

The brothers seek the cause of their misfortune in their past forbearance. Yudhishthira sees more broadly: the result is not always immediately apparent, but dharma never ceases to distinguish between deeds.

Version

bd4597023eed · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:37:35 PM UTC

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