Shloka 5
Śama-prāptiḥ — Gautamī–Lubdhaka–Pannaga–Mṛtyu–Kāla-saṃvāda
Restraint through the Analysis of Karma and Time
अतः कष्टतरं कि नु मत्कृते यत् पितामह: । इमामवस्थां गमितः: प्रत्यमित्रै रणाजिरे,मेरे ही कारण समराड्डणमें शत्रुओंने जो पितामहको इस अवस्थामें पहुँचा दिया, इससे बढ़कर कष्टकी बात और क्या हो सकती है?
ataḥ kaṣṭataraṃ ki nu matkṛte yat pitāmahaḥ | imām avasthāṃ gamitaḥ pratyamitraiḥ raṇājire ||
Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Welches Leid könnte größer sein als dies — dass um meinetwillen der ehrwürdige Großvater (Bhīṣma) von feindlichen Gegnern auf dem Schlachtfeld in einen solchen Zustand gebracht wurde?“
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds moral accountability: even when war is fought under perceived necessity, a righteous person (Yudhiṣṭhira) feels personal responsibility for the suffering inflicted—especially upon elders and revered figures—highlighting the ethical weight of violence and the need for reflective dharma.
After the great war, Yudhiṣṭhira laments that Bhīṣma, the revered Grandsire, has been reduced to a grievous state on the battlefield, and he interprets this tragedy as occurring ‘because of me,’ expressing remorse and grief over the war’s consequences.