Shloka 12
शोकाकुल-युधिष्ठिरं प्रति कुन्त्याः कालोचितोपदेशः | Kuntī’s Timely Counsel to the Grief-Stricken Yudhiṣṭhira
स राजा पुत्रपौत्राणां सम्बन्धिसुहृदां तदा । स्मरन्नुद्विग्नहददयो बभूवोद्धिग्नचेतन:,राजा युधिष्ठिरका हृदय अपने पुत्रों, पौत्रों, सम्बन्धियों तथा सुहृदोंको याद करके उद्विग्न हो उठा। उनके मनमें व्याकुलता छा गयी
sa rājā putrapautrāṇāṃ sambandhisu-hṛdāṃ tadā | smarann udvigna-hṛdayo babhūvodvigna-cetanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: At that time, the king—remembering his sons and grandsons, his kinsmen and well-wishers—became deeply agitated at heart; his mind was overwhelmed with distress. The verse underscores the moral weight of kingship after catastrophe: memory of one’s own people becomes a source of anguish, not comfort, when dharma has been shaken by war and loss.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical burden that follows violence and loss: even rightful victory cannot erase the king’s responsibility toward kin and companions. Remembering them intensifies remorse and anxiety, preparing the ground for Śānti Parva’s inquiry into dharma, governance, and inner peace.
Vaiśampāyana describes Yudhiṣṭhira’s mental state: he recalls his sons, grandsons, relatives, and friends, and this remembrance makes him profoundly unsettled—his heart and mind become distressed in the wake of the great conflict.