Shloka 12
शोकाकुल-युधिष्ठिरं प्रति कुन्त्याः कालोचितोपदेशः | Kuntī’s Timely Counsel to the Grief-Stricken Yudhiṣṭhira
स राजा पुत्रपौत्राणां सम्बन्धिसुहृदां तदा । स्मरन्नुद्विग्नहददयो बभूवोद्धिग्नचेतन:
sa rājā putrapautrāṇāṃ sambandhisu-hṛdāṃ tadā | smarann udvigna-hṛdayo babhūvodvigna-cetanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: Entonces el rey—al recordar a sus hijos y nietos, a sus parientes y bienhechores—se agitó hondamente en el corazón; su mente quedó anegada de aflicción. El verso subraya el peso moral de la realeza tras la catástrofe: cuando el dharma ha sido sacudido por la guerra y la pérdida, la memoria de los propios se vuelve fuente de angustia, no de consuelo.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical burden that follows violence and loss: even rightful victory cannot erase the king’s responsibility toward kin and companions. Remembering them intensifies remorse and anxiety, preparing the ground for Śānti Parva’s inquiry into dharma, governance, and inner peace.
Vaiśampāyana describes Yudhiṣṭhira’s mental state: he recalls his sons, grandsons, relatives, and friends, and this remembrance makes him profoundly unsettled—his heart and mind become distressed in the wake of the great conflict.