Shloka 11
Adhyāya 55 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Hesitation and Bhīṣma’s Authorization of Inquiry
Rājadharma Prelude
भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण बोले--प्रजानाथ! धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर बहुत लज्जित हैं, वे शापके भयसे डरे होनेके कारण आपके निकट नहीं आ रहे हैं
bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca—prajānātha! dharmarāja yudhiṣṭhiraḥ bahu lajjitaḥ; sa śāpasya bhayāt bhītaḥ san bhavataḥ samīpaṃ nāgacchati.
Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: “O lord of the people! King Yudhiṣṭhira, the upholder of dharma, is deeply ashamed. Fearing a curse, he is frightened and therefore does not come near you.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a righteous person can be overwhelmed by shame and fear; ethical life includes acknowledging remorse while also moving toward reconciliation and right counsel rather than withdrawing in anxiety.
Kṛṣṇa explains to the addressed ruler that Yudhiṣṭhira is too ashamed to approach and is holding back out of fear of being cursed, indicating a tense moral-psychological moment where the dharmic king hesitates to face an authority figure.