Shloka 42
Nala’s Embassy to Damayantī and the Gods’ Proposal (नलस्य दूतत्वं देवप्रस्तावश्च)
आश्चस्तं चैनमासीनमुपासीनो युधिष्ठिर: । अभिप्रेक्ष्य महाबाहुः कृपणं बह्वदभाषत,जब वे आसनपर बैठकर थकावटसे निवृत्त हो चुके अर्थात् विश्राम कर चुके, तब महाबाहु युधिष्ठिर उनके पास ही बैठकर उन्हींकी ओर देखते हुए अत्यन्त दीनतापूर्ण वचन बोले--
āścastaṃ cainam āsīnam upāsīno yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | abhiprekṣya mahābāhuḥ kṛpaṇaṃ bahvadabhāṣata ||
When he had sat down and regained his composure from fatigue, Yudhiṣṭhira—the mighty-armed—sat close by him. Fixing his gaze upon him, he spoke many words in a tone of deep distress.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical leadership under strain: even a powerful ruler like Yudhiṣṭhira approaches another with humility and sorrow, showing that dharma includes honest acknowledgment of distress, compassionate attention, and seeking counsel rather than acting from pride or haste.
After the addressed person has sat down and recovered from fatigue, Yudhiṣṭhira sits beside him, looks at him closely, and begins speaking at length in a pitiable, grief-laden manner—setting the stage for a serious conversation driven by moral and emotional urgency.