Shloka 18
धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति व्यवहार-रक्षा-नियमनोपदेशः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Instruction on Administration, Punishment, and Daily Governance
अन््येषां चैव सर्वेषां कुन्ती कर्णाय दास्यति । “अर्जुन! हमलोग स्वयं ही भीष्म, राजा सोमदत्त, भूरिश्रवा, राजर्षि बाह्नीक, महात्मा द्रोणाचार्य तथा अन्य सब सम्बन्धियोंका श्राद्ध करेंगे। हमारी माता कुन्ती कर्णके लिये पिण्डदान करेगी ।।
anyeṣāṃ caiva sarveṣāṃ kuntī karṇāya dāsyati |
Vaiśampāyana said: “And for all the others as well, Kuntī will offer the funerary oblation for Karṇa.” The statement underscores the survivors’ resolve to complete the śrāddha rites for the fallen, extending ritual duty even to those whose relationships were strained by war, thereby affirming dharma through remembrance, repayment of obligations, and reconciliation after destruction.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even after catastrophic conflict, dharma continues through the performance of śrāddha—honoring the dead, repaying familial and social obligations, and restoring moral order by extending rites even to those once opposed.
In the aftermath of the Kurukṣetra war, the narration notes that Kuntī will personally make the funerary offering for Karṇa, indicating the family’s commitment to complete the rites for the fallen and to acknowledge Karṇa’s true kinship.