Shloka 5
आशा-कृशता उपाख्यानम्
The Episode on the Emaciation Caused by Hope
सो<हं हताशो दुर्बुद्धि: कृतस्तेन दुरात्मना । धार्तराष्ट्रेण राजेन्द्र पश्य मन्दात्मतां मम,राजेन्द्र! उस दुरात्मा धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रने मुझ दुर्बुद्धिको हताश कर दिया। देखिये, मैं कैसा मन्दभाग्य हूँ
so 'haṃ hatāśo durbuddhiḥ kṛtas tena durātmanā | dhārtarāṣṭreṇa rājendra paśya mandātmatāṃ mama ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai raja, putra Dhṛtarāṣṭra yang berhati jahat itu telah menjatuhkanku ke dalam keputusasaan dan membuatku tampak sebagai orang dungu. Lihatlah betapa kecilnya keteguhan batinku—betapa memilukannya keadaanku.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral introspection: even a righteous king like Yudhiṣṭhira recognizes how despair and humiliation can expose inner weakness, urging self-examination rather than mere blame.
In Śānti Parva’s reflective setting after the war, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks in grief and self-reproach, saying that the Kaurava (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son) has driven him into hopelessness and made him appear foolish, and he asks the addressed king to witness his diminished state.