Shloka 5
Śama-prāptiḥ — Gautamī–Lubdhaka–Pannaga–Mṛtyu–Kāla-saṃvāda
Restraint through the Analysis of Karma and Time
अतः कष्टतरं कि नु मत्कृते यत् पितामह: । इमामवस्थां गमितः: प्रत्यमित्रै रणाजिरे,मेरे ही कारण समराड्डणमें शत्रुओंने जो पितामहको इस अवस्थामें पहुँचा दिया, इससे बढ़कर कष्टकी बात और क्या हो सकती है?
ataḥ kaṣṭataraṃ ki nu matkṛte yat pitāmahaḥ | imām avasthāṃ gamitaḥ pratyamitraiḥ raṇājire ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Quelle souffrance pourrait être plus grande que celle-ci : que, par ma faute, le Vénérable Aïeul (Bhīṣma) ait été réduit à un tel état par des ennemis sur le champ de bataille ?»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds moral accountability: even when war is fought under perceived necessity, a righteous person (Yudhiṣṭhira) feels personal responsibility for the suffering inflicted—especially upon elders and revered figures—highlighting the ethical weight of violence and the need for reflective dharma.
After the great war, Yudhiṣṭhira laments that Bhīṣma, the revered Grandsire, has been reduced to a grievous state on the battlefield, and he interprets this tragedy as occurring ‘because of me,’ expressing remorse and grief over the war’s consequences.