Shloka 8
रावणोत्पत्तिः—तपसा वरलाभश्च
Rāvaṇa’s Origins and the Acquisition of Boons
तान् वेपमानान् वित्रस्तान् बीजमात्रावशेषितान् | मृगान् दृष्टवा सुदुःखार्तो धर्मराजो युधिषिर:,वे सिंह-बाघ आदि पशु त्रस्त होकर थर-थर काँप रहे थे और बीजमात्र ही शेष रह गये थे। उनकी यह दयनीय दशा देखकर धर्मराज युधिष्छिर अत्यन्त दुःखसे व्याकुल हो गये
tān vepamānān vitrastān bījamātrāvaśeṣitān | mṛgān dṛṣṭvā suduḥkhārto dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
Seeing those deer—trembling in fear, utterly panicked, and reduced to a mere remnant—King Yudhiṣṭhira, steadfast in dharma, was overwhelmed with deep sorrow. Their pitiable condition stirred his conscience and compassion, revealing how a ruler’s ethical sensitivity is tested by the suffering of the vulnerable.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A dharmic ruler is defined not only by power but by moral perception: the ability to feel and respond to the suffering of helpless beings. Yudhiṣṭhira’s grief signals compassion as an essential component of righteous conduct.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira sees deer (and, by context, other forest creatures) trembling in terror and reduced to a scant remnant. Witnessing their miserable state, he becomes intensely distressed.