Shloka 23
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 148: Vāsudeva’s Report—Mobilization and the Nīti Sequence
Sāma–Bheda–Daṇḍa
स तच्छुत्वा तु नूपतिरभिषेकनिवारणम् | अश्रुकण्ठो5भवद् राजा पर्यशोचत चात्मजम्,“किंतु राज्याभिषेक रोकनेकी बात सुनकर राजा प्रतीपका गला भर आया और वे अपने पुत्रके लिये शोक करने लगे
sa tac chrutvā tu nūpatir abhiṣeka-nivāraṇam | aśru-kaṇṭho 'bhavad rājā paryaśocata cātmajam ||
Als der König hörte, dass die Weihe zur Königsherrschaft (Abhiṣeka) verhindert werden solle, schnürten ihm Tränen die Kehle zu; von Kummer überwältigt, beklagte er seinen Sohn.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between public duty and private attachment: decisions about succession and governance are not merely political acts but carry profound human consequences, testing a ruler’s steadiness and compassion.
Vāyudeva reports that when the king hears news that the coronation is being obstructed, he becomes tearful and mourns for his son, indicating fear for the son’s fate and the disruption of rightful order.