Shloka 14
यदि सम धर्मराज्ञा वा भीमसेनेन वा पुनः । त्वया वा पुण्डरीकाक्ष वाक्यमुक्तमिदं भवेत्,'प्रभो! पुण्डरीकाक्ष! यदि धर्मराज अथवा आर्य भीमसेन या आपने ही ऐसा कह दिया होता कि यह सींक इस बालकको न मारकर इसकी अनजान माताको ही मार डाले, तब केवल मैं ही नष्ट हुई होती। उस दशामें यह अनर्थ नहीं होता
yadi sama dharmarājñā vā bhīmasenena vā punaḥ | tvayā vā puṇḍarīkākṣa vākyam uktam idaṃ bhavet |
Vaiśampāyana said: “O lotus-eyed one, if this statement had been spoken by King Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira), or again by Bhīmasena, or by you yourself—then the consequence would have fallen only upon me. In that condition, this grievous calamity would not have arisen.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores moral accountability in speech: words spoken by authoritative figures can redirect blame and consequences, and careless utterances can trigger disproportionate harm. It highlights the ethical weight of command and counsel in a dharma-centered society.
A speaker addresses Kṛṣṇa (Puṇḍarīkākṣa), reflecting that if such a directive had come from Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, or Kṛṣṇa himself, the fallout would have been limited to the speaker alone; instead, the situation has escalated into a broader calamity.