Shloka 3
कदा वयं करिष्याम: संन्यासं दुःखसंज्ञकम् | दुःखमेतच्छरीराणां धारणं कुरुसत्तम,कुरुश्रेष्ठी संसारी मनुष्य जिसे दुःख कहते हैं, उस संन्यासका अवलम्बन हमलोग कब करेंगे? हमें तो इन शरीरोंका धारण करना ही दुःख जान पड़ता है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kadā vayaṁ kariṣyāmaḥ saṁnyāsaṁ duḥkhasaṁjñakam | duḥkham etac charīrāṇāṁ dhāraṇaṁ kurusattama ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Quand entreprendrons-nous le renoncement, ainsi nommé parce qu’il est lié à la souffrance ? Car porter ces corps mêmes me paraît être une souffrance, ô meilleur des Kuru».
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames embodied existence as inherently burdensome and points toward saṁnyāsa (renunciation) as a response to pervasive duḥkha. It signals an ethical turn from external action to inner release—questioning when it is appropriate to lay down worldly striving and seek liberation-oriented discipline.
In the Śānti Parva’s post-war reflective setting, Yudhiṣṭhira voices weariness with worldly life and the pain of sustaining the body. Addressing a revered Kuru elder (kurusattama), he asks when they will adopt renunciation, indicating his growing inclination toward ascetic counsel and liberation-focused dharma.