Shloka 25
Vyāsa’s Inquiry into Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Tapas and the Identification of Vidura with Dharma
तमुवाचाथ गान्धारी मैवं पुत्र शृणुष्व च त्वय्यधीनं कुरुकुलं पिण्डश्न श्वशुरस्य मे
tam uvāca atha gāndhārī mā evaṁ putra śṛṇuṣva ca tvayy adhīnaṁ kurukulaṁ piṇḍaśna śvaśurasya me
Vaiśampāyana dit : Alors Gāndhārī lui parla : «Mon fils, ne dis pas cela ; écoute ce que je te dis. Toute la lignée des Kuru dépend de toi, et même l’offrande ancestrale (piṇḍa) pour mon beau-père repose sur toi. Va donc, mon fils : ce que tu as fait pour nous suffit déjà. Tu nous as accueillies et honorées comme il se doit. À présent, fais exactement ce que le roi ordonne, car obéir à la parole du père est ton devoir.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes dharma as obedience to elders—especially a father’s command—and the responsibility of sustaining family continuity through care and ancestral rites (piṇḍa). Personal emotion or self-denigration is set aside in favor of duty and social-religious obligations.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Gāndhārī addresses her son, restraining him from speaking despairingly and urging him to depart and follow the king’s instruction. She reminds him that the Kuru household and even the performance of ancestral offerings depend on him, and that he has already fulfilled the duties of hospitality toward them.