Shloka 28
एतेन व्यवसायेन तत् तोयं व्यवगाढवान् | गाहमानश्न तत् तोयमन्तरिक्षात् स शुश्रुवे,धर्मपुत्रो महाबाहुर्विललाप सुविस्तरम् । अर्जुन मरे पड़े थे; उनके धनुष-बाण इधर-उधर बिखरे थे। भीमसेन और नकुल-सहदेव भी प्राणरहित हो निश्रेष्ट हो गये थे। इन सबको देखकर युधिष्ठिर गरम-गरम लंबी साँसें खींचने लगे। उनके नेत्रोंसे शोकके आँसू उमड़कर उन्हें भिगो रहे थे। अपने समस्त भ्राताओंको इस प्रकार धराशायी हुए देख महाबाह धर्मपुत्र युधिष्ठिर गहरी चिन्तामें डूब गये और देरतक विलाप करते रहे-- इस प्रकार निश्चय करके युधिष्ठिर जलमें उतरे। पानीमें प्रवेश करते ही उनके कानोंमें आकाशवाणी सुनायी दी
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
etena vyavasāyena tat toyaṃ vyavagāḍhavān |
gāhamānaś ca tat toyam antarīkṣāt sa śuśruve |
dharmaputro mahābāhur vilalāpa suvistaram ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having formed this resolve, he descended into that water. As the mighty-armed Dharmaputra waded in, he heard a voice from the sky. Overwhelmed by grief at the sight of his brothers lying fallen, he lamented at length—his sorrow and sense of duty colliding as he moved forward to learn the cause behind their collapse.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma under emotional pressure: even in intense grief, Yudhiṣṭhira acts with deliberate resolve. The sudden ‘voice from the sky’ signals that ethical trials may be guided by a higher moral order, where impulsive action is checked and discernment is demanded.
After resolving to act, Yudhiṣṭhira enters the water. While wading, he hears an aerial voice (ākāśavāṇī), setting up the ensuing confrontation/test that explains why his brothers have fallen and what conditions must be met to remedy the situation.