Shloka 29
जतुगृहदाहः — The Burning of the Lac House and the Pāṇḍavas’ Concealed Escape
ततः प्रत्यागतप्राणा तावुभौ परिदंशितौ । पुत्री दृष्टवा सुसम्भ्रान्ता नान्वपद्यत किंचन,इससे कुन्तीको होश तो आ गया; किंतु अपने दोनों पुत्रोंको युद्धूके लिये कवच धारण किये देख वे बहुत घबरा गयीं। उन्हें रोकनेका कोई उपाय उनके ध्यानमें नहीं आया
tataḥ pratyāgataprāṇā tāv ubhau paridaṃśitau | putrī dṛṣṭvā susambhrāntā nānvapadyata kiṃcana ||
Then Kuntī regained consciousness. But when she saw her two sons standing ready for combat, clad in protective armor, she was seized with alarm. In that moment of distress, she could find no means at all to restrain them or avert what was about to happen.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic crisis at the level of lived experience: even a righteous mother, upon seeing her sons poised for violence, may be overwhelmed and unable to act. It underscores how quickly conflict can outpace counsel, and how emotional shock can paralyze moral agency.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kuntī comes back to her senses and immediately sees her two sons prepared for combat, armored and ready. Alarmed, she searches for a way to stop them but cannot think of any effective उपाय (means).