Shloka 25
Vyāsa’s Inquiry into Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Tapas and the Identification of Vidura with Dharma
तमुवाचाथ गान्धारी मैवं पुत्र शृणुष्व च त्वय्यधीनं कुरुकुलं पिण्डश्न श्वशुरस्य मे
tam uvāca atha gāndhārī mā evaṁ putra śṛṇuṣva ca tvayy adhīnaṁ kurukulaṁ piṇḍaśna śvaśurasya me
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Entonces Gāndhārī le habló: «Hijo mío, no digas eso; escucha lo que te digo. Todo el linaje de los Kuru depende de ti, y hasta la ofrenda ancestral (piṇḍa) para mi suegro descansa en ti. Por eso, hijo, ve: lo que has hecho por nosotros ya es suficiente. Nos has recibido y honrado como corresponde. Ahora cumple exactamente lo que ordena el rey, pues obedecer la palabra del padre es tu deber».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes dharma as obedience to elders—especially a father’s command—and the responsibility of sustaining family continuity through care and ancestral rites (piṇḍa). Personal emotion or self-denigration is set aside in favor of duty and social-religious obligations.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Gāndhārī addresses her son, restraining him from speaking despairingly and urging him to depart and follow the king’s instruction. She reminds him that the Kuru household and even the performance of ancestral offerings depend on him, and that he has already fulfilled the duties of hospitality toward them.