Mahabharata 3.52.42 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 52, Shloka 42
Nala’s Embassy to Damayantī and the Gods’ Proposal (नलस्य दूतत्वं देवप्रस्तावश्च)
आश्चस्तं चैनमासीनमुपासीनो युधिष्ठिर: । अभिप्रेक्ष्य महाबाहुः कृपणं बह्वदभाषत
āścastaṃ cainam āsīnam upāsīno yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | abhiprekṣya mahābāhuḥ kṛpaṇaṃ bahvadabhāṣata ||
Cuando el sabio se hubo sentado y recobrado del cansancio, Yudhiṣṭhira, el de poderosos brazos, se sentó muy cerca de él. Clavando en él la mirada, pronunció muchas palabras con honda aflicción.
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.
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