Shloka 13
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Śrāddha Request and Bhīma’s Objection (Āśramavāsika-parva, Adhyāya 17)
कुन्तीके सभी पुत्र और सारी बहुएँ जब लौट गयीं, तब महाज्ञानी राजा धृतराष्ट्र वनकी ओर चले ।।
pāṇḍavāś cātitadinās te duḥkhaśokaparāyaṇāḥ | yānaiḥ strīsahitāḥ sarve puraṃ praveviśus tadā ||
When all of Kuntī’s sons and all their wives had returned, the greatly wise king Dhṛtarāṣṭra set out toward the forest. The Pāṇḍavas, utterly dejected and absorbed in grief and sorrow, entered the city with the women, riding in their vehicles.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that worldly success does not erase moral and emotional consequences: even righteous victors may be overwhelmed by grief. It points to the ethical seriousness of violence and the duty to carry its aftermath with humility and restraint.
After Kuntī and the daughters-in-law return, the Pāṇḍavas—sorrowful and dejected—ride with the women and enter the city (Hastināpura). This moment frames the transition toward Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s movement toward the forest life and the broader theme of withdrawal from royal life.