Shloka 12
ऋषिसमागमः — युधिष्ठिरस्य शोकवर्णनम्
Sage Assembly and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Articulation of Grief
कच्चिच्च निहतामित्र: प्रीणासि सुह्ृदो नूप । कच्चिच्छियमिमां प्राप्प न त्वां शोक: प्रबाधते
kaccic ca nihatāmītraḥ prīṇāsi suhṛdo nūpa | kaccic chrīyam imāṃ prāpya na tvāṃ śokaḥ prabādhate ||
O king, are your enemies truly slain, and do you keep your well-wishers satisfied? And having attained this royal prosperity, are you free from the affliction of grief?
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames kingship as more than victory: a ruler must ensure the well-being of allies and inner stability. Even after gaining sovereignty and prosperity, one must not be ruled by grief; ethical governance requires both external security (enemies subdued) and internal composure (freedom from debilitating sorrow).
Vaiśaṃpāyana, narrating the events, poses welfare-questions to the king: whether the enemies have been defeated, whether friends and supporters are being kept content, and whether the newly obtained royal fortune is accompanied by peace of mind rather than grief—setting the tone for Śānti Parva’s reflections after the war.