Shloka 8
ऋषिसमागमः — युधिष्ठिरस्य शोकवर्णनम्
Sage Assembly and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Articulation of Grief
पुण्ये भागीरथीतीरे शोकव्याकुलचेतसम् । आश्वासयन्तो राजानं विप्रा: शतसहस्रश:
puṇye bhāgīrathītīre śokavyākulacetasam | āśvāsayanto rājānaṁ viprāḥ śatasahasraśaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: On the holy bank of the Bhāgīrathī, hundreds of thousands of brāhmaṇa sages surrounded King Yudhiṣṭhira—his mind overwhelmed by grief—and, seeking to console him, remained seated near him in a manner befitting the time and circumstance. The scene frames a moral crisis after war: the king’s sorrow is met not with flattery but with the steady, dharmic presence of learned elders who guide him back toward righteous governance and inner steadiness.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Grief after violence, even when one has acted under duty, must be met through dharmic counsel and steadying companionship. The presence of sages signifies that ethical recovery and rightful rule arise from listening to wisdom, honoring context (deśa-kāla), and transforming sorrow into responsible action.
After the war, Yudhiṣṭhira is mentally shaken by sorrow. On the sacred bank of the Bhāgīrathī, vast numbers of brāhmaṇa sages gather around him, console him, and sit near him appropriately, setting the stage for the teachings of Śānti Parva on peace, duty, and governance.