Shloka 8
Adhyāya 16 — Daiva, Kṣatriya-dharma, and Public Reassurance to Dhṛtarāṣṭra
नकुल: सहदेवश्न तथेमौ गुरुवर्तिनौ । क्षुधा कथं न सीदेतामिति चोद्धर्षणं कृतम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca tathemau guruvartinau |
kṣudhā kathaṃ na sīdetām iti coddharṣaṇaṃ kṛtam ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Nakula et Sahadeva —ces deux frères voués à l’obéissance envers leurs aînés— ne devaient pas être accablés par le tourment de la faim. Avec ce souci, je leur ai donné courage et les ai pressés d’agir.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma expressed as disciplined obedience to elders (guru-vartin) and compassionate concern that such dutiful persons should not be overwhelmed by avoidable suffering; encouragement is presented as a moral act when it supports righteous conduct.
Vaiśampāyana explains that he urged and encouraged action with the intention that the two dutiful brothers, Nakula and Sahadeva, would not be distressed by hunger.