Shloka 13
शोकाकुल-युधिष्ठिरं प्रति कुन्त्याः कालोचितोपदेशः | Kuntī’s Timely Counsel to the Grief-Stricken Yudhiṣṭhira
तत: शोकपरीतात्मा सधूम इव पावक: । निर्वेदमगमद् धीमान् राजा संतापपीडित:
tataḥ śokaparītātmā sadhūma iva pāvakaḥ | nirvedam agamad dhīmān rājā santāpapīḍitaḥ ||
Entonces el sabio rey, con el ánimo cercado por el duelo y atormentado por la angustia, cayó en el desapego. Como un fuego envuelto en humo, parecía arder por dentro: su mente, nublada por la pena, se apartaba de los atractivos de la vida y del reino.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how profound grief can mature into nirveda—disenchantment with worldly power—prompting ethical reflection on the costs of violence and the responsibilities of kingship.
After the catastrophic war, Yudhiṣṭhira is mentally engulfed by sorrow and distress; he appears like a smoke-covered fire, burning inwardly, and he turns toward detachment from life’s pleasures and royal rule.