Shloka 28
ऋषिसमागमः — युधिष्ठिरस्य शोकवर्णनम्
Sage Assembly and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Articulation of Grief
अपि पश्चादिदं मातर्यवोचदिति न: श्रुतम् । न हि शक्ष्याम्यहं त्यक्तुं नूपं दुर्योधनं रणे
api paścād idaṃ mātary avocad iti naḥ śrutam | na hi śakṣyāmy ahaṃ tyaktuṃ nūpaṃ duryodhanaṃ raṇe
Pernahkah kami mendengar bahwa setelah itu seseorang berkata demikian kepada ibunya? “Di tengah pertempuran aku takkan sanggup meninggalkan Duryodhana, yang teguh laksana tiang penyangga.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical restraint in speech—especially regarding one’s mother—and frames battlefield conduct as bound by dharma: even amid conflict, one should not violate fundamental norms of respect and propriety.
Yudhiṣṭhira speaks in a reflective, moralizing tone, invoking what is ‘heard’ or accepted as proper tradition. He asserts that he cannot bring himself to abandon Duryodhana in battle, describing him metaphorically as a firm ‘pillar,’ underscoring the gravity and steadfastness expected in the martial context.