Shloka 23
पाण्डोः श्राद्धं, सत्यवत्याः वनगमनम्, बाल्यस्पर्धा च
Pāṇḍu’s Śrāddha, Satyavatī’s Withdrawal, and Childhood Rivalry
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुकक््त्वा सुदु:खार्तो नि:श्वासपरमो नृप: । अवेक्षमाण: कुन्तीं च माद्रीं च समभाषत,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! यों कहकर राजा पाण्डु अत्यन्त दुःखसे आतुर हो लंबी साँस खींचते और कुन्ती-माद्रीकी ओर देखते हुए उन दोनोंसे इस प्रकार बोले --
vaiśampāyana uvāca | evam uktvā suduḥkhārto niḥśvāsa-paramo nṛpaḥ | avekṣamāṇaḥ kuntīṃ ca mādrīṃ ca samabhāṣata |
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Nachdem der König so geredet hatte, von tiefstem Kummer überwältigt und lange, schwere Seufzer ausstoßend, blickte er zu Kuntī und Mādrī hin und wandte sich dann an beide.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how profound sorrow can overtake even a king, setting a moral atmosphere where forthcoming decisions and speech carry ethical gravity. It frames responsible speech as arising in a moment of emotional crisis, reminding readers that dharma is often tested when one is distressed.
After saying something just prior to this verse, King Pāṇḍu becomes deeply grief-stricken, sighs heavily, looks at his two wives—Kuntī and Mādrī—and begins to address them, signaling a transition into an important conversation.