Shloka 13
Bhāgīrathī-tīra-śauca, Kurukṣetra-gamana, and Śatayūpa-āśrama-dīkṣā (गङ्गातीरशौच–कुरुक्षेत्रगमन–शतयूपाश्रमदीक्षा)
इयं च माता ज्येष्ठा मे शीतवाताध्वकर्शिता । घोरेण तपसा युक्ता देवी कच्चिन्न शोचति
iyaṃ ca mātā jyeṣṭhā me śītavātādhvakārśitā | ghoreṇa tapasā yuktā devī kaccin na śocati ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Dan inilah ibuku yang tertua—terkikis oleh dingin, angin, dan beratnya perjalanan—hingga menjadi amat kurus, dan kini tekun dalam tapa yang keras. Apakah sang dewi masih berduka atas putra-putranya yang gagah, teguh dalam dharma kṣatriya, yang gugur di perang? Dan apakah ia pernah menyimpan niat buruk terhadap kami, para pelaku kesalahan?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical aftermath of war: even victors remain burdened by remorse and fear of the bereaved’s grief or resentment. It points to the need for compassion, accountability, and the hope for forgiveness, while also portraying tapas as a response to unbearable loss.
In Āśramavāsika Parva, the royal elders have withdrawn to the forest. Yudhiṣṭhira observes Gāndhārī’s frailty from hardship and ascetic life and anxiously asks whether she still mourns her sons killed in the war and whether she wishes harm upon the Pāṇḍavas, whom he calls offenders.