Shloka 19
Bhīmasena’s Counsel on Grief, Inner Conflict, and the Duty of Kingship (भीमसेन-उपदेशः)
प्रत्राजनं च नगरादजिनैश्न विवासनम् । महारण्यनिवासश्न न तस्य स्मर्तुमहसि,“आप नगरसे निकाले गये, आपको मृगछाला पहनाकर वनवास दे दिया गया और बड़े-बड़े जंगलोंमें आपको रहना पड़ा। क्या इन सब बातोंको आप याद नहीं कर सकते?
pratrājanaṃ ca nagarād ajinaiś ca nivāsanam | mahāraṇya-nivāsaṃ ca na tasya smartum arhasi ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: «Man trieb dich aus der Stadt, ließ dich Hirschfell tragen und schickte dich fort, in der Wildnis zu wohnen. In weiten Wäldern musstest du leben. Wie könntest du all dies vergessen?»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse appeals to moral memory: one who has endured injustice and hardship should not forget it, because remembrance supports discernment, accountability, and dharmic judgment rather than complacency or self-deception.
Vaiśampāyana recalls a person’s past humiliation—expulsion from the city, being made to wear deerskin, and forced forest-dwelling—using these facts as a pointed reminder that such experiences should not be ignored or forgotten when reflecting on conduct and consequences.