Shloka 9
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्या भारत सौप्तिकपर्वमें दुर्योधनका प्राणत्यागविषयक नवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ,लब्धचेतास्तु कौन्तेय: शोकविह्नललया गिरा । जित्वा शत्रून् जितः पश्चात् पर्यदेवयदार्तवत् फिर होशमें आनेपर कुन्तीनन्दन युधिष्ठिर शोकाकुल वाणीद्वारा आर्तकी भाँति विलाप करने लगे--'हाय! मैं शत्रुओंको पहले जीतकर पीछे पराजित हो गया
labdhacetāstu kaunteyaḥ śokavihvalayā girā | jitvā śatrūn jitaḥ paścāt paryadevayad ārtavat ||
Vaiśampāyana said: When he regained his composure, Kuntī’s son Yudhiṣṭhira, his voice choked with grief, began to lament like one in deep distress: “Alas! Having first conquered my enemies, I have afterward been conquered.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts external success with internal collapse: even after defeating enemies, one may feel defeated by grief and moral burden. It points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical insight that victory in war can entail profound personal and dharmic suffering.
After regaining awareness, Yudhiṣṭhira begins to lament intensely. He expresses a paradoxical feeling: though he won against his foes, the aftermath has left him feeling conquered—overwhelmed by sorrow and the consequences of the conflict.