Shloka 53
अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
उवाच वाक््यं सत्रीडा विवृण्वाना पुरातनम्,तब कुन्तीने मस्तक झुकाकर श्वशुरको प्रणाम किया और लज्जित हो प्राचीन गुप्त रहस्यको प्रकट करते हुए कहा
uvāca vākyaṃ satrīḍā vivṛṇvānā purātanam, tataḥ kuntī namastakaṃ jhukākar śvaśurako praṇāma kiyā ca lajjitā bhūtvā prācīna-gupta-rahasyaṃ prakaṭayantī uvāca
Vaiśampāyana said: With modest hesitation, she began to disclose an ancient matter. Then Kuntī, bowing her head, paid reverence to her father-in-law; and, ashamed yet resolute, she revealed an old, long-concealed secret and spoke.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic accountability: even a long-hidden truth should be disclosed with humility and respect, especially before elders, because moral repair often requires honest confession despite personal shame.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kuntī, after bowing respectfully to her father-in-law, overcomes embarrassment and reveals an ancient, previously concealed secret—signaling a pivotal disclosure within the Ashramavāsika episode.