Shloka 40
ऋषिसमागमः — युधिष्ठिरस्य शोकवर्णनम्
Sage Assembly and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Articulation of Grief
यदा हास्य गिरो रूक्षा: शूणोमि कटुकोदया:,जब द्यूतसभामें दुर्योधनके हितकी इच्छासे वे बोलने लगते और मैं उनकी कड़वी एवं रूखी बातें सुनता, उस समय उनके पैरोंको देखकर मेरा बढ़ा हुआ रोष शान्त हो जाता था
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | yadā hāsya giro rūkṣāḥ śṛṇomi kaṭukodayāḥ | dyūtasabhāyāṃ duryodhanahitecchayā te vaktum ārabhante, tadā teṣāṃ pādān avalokya mama vardhamāno roṣaḥ śāmyati sma |
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Setiap kali aku mendengar kata-kata mereka yang kasar, yang bangkit dari niat pahit—ketika di balairung dadu mereka mulai berbicara demi menyenangkan Duryodhana—amarahku menggelegak. Namun begitu mataku tertuju pada kaki mereka, murka yang meninggi itu pun mereda.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights restraint: even when provoked by cruel, partisan speech, one can check anger through a deliberate act of recollection and humility—here symbolized by looking at the other’s feet, a gesture that interrupts retaliation and restores self-mastery.
Yudhiṣṭhira recalls the dice-hall episode: people spoke harshly with the intention of supporting Duryodhana. Though Yudhiṣṭhira’s anger rose on hearing them, he says it would calm when he looked at their feet—indicating a conscious suppression of wrath amid public humiliation.