Shloka 14
कि पाण्डवांस्ते पतितानुपास्य मोघ: श्रम: षण्ढतिलानुपास्य । एवं नृशंस: परुषाणि पार्था- नश्रावयद् धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्र:,'थोथे तिलोंकी भाँति इन पतित और नपुंसक पाण्डवोंकी सेवा करनेसे तुम्हें क्या लाभ होगा, व्यर्थका परिश्रम ही तो उठाना पड़ेगा।' इस प्रकार धृतराष्ट्रके नृशंस पुत्र दुःशासनने पाण्डवोंको बहुत-से कठोर वचन सुनाये
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
kiṁ pāṇḍavāṁs te patitān upāsya moghaḥ śramaḥ ṣaṇḍha-tilān upāsya |
evaṁ nṛśaṁsaḥ paruṣāṇi pārthān aśrāvayad dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “What gain will you have by serving these fallen Pāṇḍavas? It is only wasted toil—like tending barren sesame.” Thus the cruel son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra made the Pārthas hear many harsh words.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical collapse expressed through cruel, demeaning speech: contempt for the vulnerable and mockery of service to them is portrayed as nṛśaṁsatā (pitilessness). It implicitly contrasts adharma—humiliation and verbal violence—with the dharmic ideal of restraint and compassion in speech.
In the royal assembly context of the Sabha Parva, Duḥśāsana, identified as Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s cruel son, taunts the Pāṇḍavas as ‘fallen’ and uses a degrading metaphor to claim that serving them is pointless, thereby subjecting them to harsh verbal abuse.