Shloka 19
अवध्यानां वध पश्यन् धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । निःश्वसन् भीमसेनं च विजयं चेदमब्रवीत्
avadhyānāṁ vadhaṁ paśyan dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | niḥśvasan bhīmasenaṁ ca vijayaṁ cedam abravīt ||
Waiśaṃpāyana berkata: Melihat pembantaian atas mereka yang seharusnya tidak dibunuh, Raja Yudhiṣṭhira—penjaga dharma—menghela napas panjang, lalu berkata demikian kepada Bhīmasena dan Arjuna (Vijaya).
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when conflict seems unavoidable, dharma demands discernment about who may be harmed; Yudhiṣṭhira’s sigh signals that righteous leadership includes moral accountability and grief over transgression, not mere pursuit of victory.
The narrator reports Yudhiṣṭhira witnessing the killing of those deemed ‘avadhya’ (not fit to be slain). Distressed, he sighs and addresses Bhīma and a figure named Vijaya, preparing to give counsel or a response shaped by ethical concern.