Shloka 12
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Grief, Kṛṣṇa’s Consolation, and Vyāsa’s Admonition (युधिष्ठिरशोक-निवारणोपदेशः)
न हि शान्तिं प्रपश्यामि पातयित्वा पितामहम्
na hi śāntiṃ prapaśyāmi pātayitvā pitāmaham
Dijo Yudhiṣṭhira: «No alcanzo a ver cómo podría llegarme la paz después de haber abatido al venerable abuelo.» En este lamento, sopesa la victoria frente al dharma y la conciencia, sintiendo que la caída de Bhīṣma—anciano reverenciado y pilar moral—ha manchado el triunfo con duelo e inquietud ética.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when an act is performed under the pressure of duty and war, harming a revered elder can leave a lasting moral wound; true śānti is not guaranteed by victory, but depends on ethical reconciliation and inner accountability.
In the aftermath of the great war, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on the downfall of Bhīṣma (the Pitāmaha). He confesses that he cannot envision peace for himself, because the victory feels morally burdened by the act of bringing down the grandsire.