Shloka 35
ऋषिसमागमः — युधिष्ठिरस्य शोकवर्णनम्
Sage Assembly and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Articulation of Grief
भ्रातृणां स्वस्ति कुर्वीथा येषां स्वस्ति चिकीर्षसि । एवमुक््त्वा किल पृथा विसृज्योपययौ गृहान्
bhrātṝṇāṁ svasti kurvīthā yeṣāṁ svasti cikīrṣasi | evam uktvā kila pṛthā visṛjya upayayau gṛhān |
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “See to the welfare of your brothers—those whose well-being you desire to secure.” Having spoken thus, Kuntī (Pṛthā), it is said, took her leave and returned home. The dharmic force here is a mother’s insistence that goodwill must become deed: if one truly seeks another’s welfare, one must actively work for it, especially as war draws near and loyalties are torn.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that genuine concern for others must be expressed through deliberate action: if one claims to seek the welfare (svasti) of one’s brothers, one must actively secure it. Ethical intention is validated by concrete responsibility.
Yudhiṣṭhira urges that the brothers’ welfare be ensured. After this statement, Kuntī (Pṛthā) takes leave and returns home, marking a transition in the dialogue and emphasizing maternal and familial duty amid tense circumstances.