Shloka 17
कुन्ती-युधिष्ठिरसंवादः
Kuntī–Yudhiṣṭhira Dialogue on Bhīma’s Mission
हा फाल्गुनेति चाप्यन्ये हा यमाविति चापरे | कुन्तीमार्ताश्न शोचन्त उदकं चक्रिरे जना:,अन्य कोई बोलते--'हा अर्जुन!” और इसी प्रकार दूसरे लोग “हा नकुल-सहदेव!' कहकर पुकार उठते थे। सब लोगोंने कुन्तीदेवीके लिये शोकार्त होकर जलांजलि दी
hā phālguneti cāpy anye hā yamāv iti cāpare | kuntīm ārtāś ca śocanta udakaṃ cakrire janāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Some cried out, “Alas, Phālguna (Arjuna)!” while others lamented, “Alas, the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva)!” Grief-stricken, the people mourned for Kuntī and performed the water-offering rites, expressing communal sorrow and the duty of honoring the departed.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma in the form of honoring the dead through prescribed rites (udaka offerings) and acknowledges the ethical weight of communal compassion—grief is not merely personal but shared, and it is expressed through both lament and duty-bound ritual.
People are crying out the names of Arjuna and the twins Nakula–Sahadeva in anguish, and they mourn for Kuntī as well. In response to the deaths implied in the context, they perform water-offering rites, a customary act of respect for the departed.