Shloka 37
ऋषिसमागमः — युधिष्ठिरस्य शोकवर्णनम्
Sage Assembly and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Articulation of Grief
अथ शूरो महेष्वास: पार्थेनाजी निपातित: । अहं त्वज्ञासिषं पश्चात् स्वसोदर्य द्विजोत्तम
atha śūro maheṣvāsaḥ pārthenājau nipātitaḥ | ahaṁ tv ajñāsiṣaṁ paścāt svasodarya dvijottama ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Kemudian pahlawan itu, sang pemanah agung, dijatuhkan di medan perang oleh Pārtha (Arjuna). Namun baru sesudahnya aku mengetahui—wahai yang terbaik di antara kaum dwija—bahwa ia adalah saudaraku sedarah. Ketika jauh setelah peristiwa itu aku mendengar dari ibuku Kuntī bahwa ‘Karṇa adalah yang sulung di antara kami, saudara seibu’, hatiku dikuasai duka yang tajam, sebab aku telah menjadi sebab terbunuhnya saudaraku sendiri.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of actions done in ignorance and the painful consequences of delayed truth. Even when war-deeds align with kṣatriya duty, the revelation of kinship transforms victory into moral anguish, underscoring the Mahābhārata’s insistence that dharma is complex and emotionally costly.
After the war, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects that Karṇa—slain by Arjuna in battle—was later revealed by their mother Kuntī to be their eldest full brother. Yudhiṣṭhira laments that he effectively caused his own brother’s death and is overwhelmed by grief and remorse.