Shloka 35
Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 1 — The Pandavas’ Exit from Gajasāhvaya and the Citizens’ Lament (जनमेजयप्रश्नः; पाण्डवानां वनप्रस्थानम्)
भीष्म: पितामहो राजा विदुरो जननी च मे । सुहज्जनश्नच प्रायो मे नगरे नागसाह्लये,(आपलोगोंको मालूम होना चाहिये कि) हमारे पितामह भीष्म, राजा धृतराष्ट्र, विदुरजी, मेरी माता तथा प्राय: अन्य सगे-सम्बन्धी भी हस्तिनापुरमें ही हैं
bhīṣmaḥ pitāmaho rājā viduro jananī ca me | suhṛj-janaś ca prāyo me nagare nāgasāhvaye ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Ketahuilah bahwa kakek agung kita Bhīṣma, Raja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Vidura, ibuku, dan hampir semua sahabat serta kerabat dekatku berada di kota bernama Nāgasāhvaya (Hastināpura).”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic deliberation: even when wronged, one must weigh actions against their impact on elders, kin, and well-wishers. Ethical choices are not isolated; they reverberate through family and polity, especially when revered figures reside at the center of power.
Yudhiṣṭhira points out that key Kuru elders and his mother remain in Hastināpura (Nāgasāhvaya). This situates the Pandavas’ exile decisions within the reality that their closest relations are still at the Kuru capital, shaping the stakes of any confrontation or strategy.