Shloka 17
धृतराष्ट्रदर्शनाय पाण्डवानां प्रयाणम् | The Pāṇḍavas Prepare to Visit Dhṛtarāṣṭra
स मया मूढया पुत्रो ज्ञायमानोडप्युपेक्षित: । तन्मां दहति विप्रर्षे यथा सुविदितं तव
sā mayā mūḍhayā putro jñāyamāno ’py upekṣitaḥ | tan māṁ dahati viprarṣe yathā suviditaṁ tava brahman ||
Ce fils —bien que je l’aie reconnu— fut pourtant négligé par moi dans mon égarement. Cette faute me brûle comme un feu de deuil, ô le meilleur des brahmanes ; en vérité, ô Brahman, tu le sais parfaitement.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one knows the right relationship and duty, delusion can lead to neglect; such moral failure later returns as intense remorse. The verse highlights accountability: recognition without compassionate action is ethically empty, and guilt becomes an inner punishment.
A woman speaks of a painful memory: she recognized her own son yet still ignored him. She confesses that this mistake continually burns her with grief, while addressing a Brahmin sage who already knows the matter.