Shloka 82
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवेषु प्रीति-वृत्तान्तः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Affectionate Disposition toward the Pāṇḍavas
दृष्टवा कृशं विवर्ण च राजानमतथोचितम् । उपवासपरिश्रान्तं त्वगस्थिपरिवारणम्
dṛṣṭvā kṛśaṁ vivarṇaṁ ca rājānam atathocitam | upavāsa-pariśrāntaṁ tvag-asthi-parivāraṇam ||
Seeing King Dhṛtarāṣṭra—now emaciated and pale, worn out by fasting, reduced to little more than skin and bone, and in a condition unbefitting his royal station—Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Dharma, was overcome with grief and, shedding tears born of anguish, addressed him in these words.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic sensitivity: even after conflict and political change, one should respond to an elder’s suffering with compassion and moral concern. It also contrasts royal dignity with the harshness of extreme austerity, raising an ethical question about what is ‘proper’ (ucita) in renunciation.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira sees the aged King Dhṛtarāṣṭra weakened by fasting—thin, pale, and reduced to skin and bone. Moved to tears, Yudhiṣṭhira begins to speak to him, setting up the ensuing dialogue about his condition and conduct in the forest life.