Shloka 13
इयं च माता ज्येष्ठा मे शीतवाताध्वकर्शिता । घोरेण तपसा युक्ता देवी कच्चिन्न शोचति,ये मेरी बड़ी माता गान्धारीदेवी सर्दी, हवा और रास्ता चलनेके परिश्रमसे कष्ट पाकर अत्यन्त दुबली हो गयी हैं घोर तपस्यामें लगी हुई हैं। ये देवी युद्धमें मारे गये अपने क्षत्रिय- धर्मपरायण महापराक्रमी पुत्रोंक लिये कभी शोक तो नहीं करतीं? और हम अपराधियोंका कभी कोई अनिष्ट तो नहीं सोचती हैं?
iyaṃ ca mātā jyeṣṭhā me śītavātādhvakārśitā | ghoreṇa tapasā yuktā devī kaccin na śocati ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “And this my eldest mother—worn down by cold, wind, and the hardship of travel—has become exceedingly emaciated and is engaged in severe austerities. Does this noble lady still grieve for her mighty sons, steadfast in kṣatriya-duty, who were slain in the war? And does she ever harbor any ill will toward us, the offenders?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical aftermath of war: even victors remain burdened by remorse and fear of the bereaved’s grief or resentment. It points to the need for compassion, accountability, and the hope for forgiveness, while also portraying tapas as a response to unbearable loss.
In Āśramavāsika Parva, the royal elders have withdrawn to the forest. Yudhiṣṭhira observes Gāndhārī’s frailty from hardship and ascetic life and anxiously asks whether she still mourns her sons killed in the war and whether she wishes harm upon the Pāṇḍavas, whom he calls offenders.