Shloka 14
पुरोहितांश्व पौरांक्ष गान्धारीं च यशस्विनीम् | युधिष्ठिर: शनैर्दीन उवाचेदं वचस्तदा,तदनन्तर युधिष्ठिरने शंतनुनन्दन भीष्म, परम बुद्धिमान् विदुर, द्रोण, बाह्विक, कुरुवंशी सोमदत्त, कृपाचार्य, अश्वत्थामा, भूरिश्रवा, अन्यान्य माननीय मन्त्रियों, तपस्वी ब्राह्मणों, पुरोहितों, पुरवासियों तथा यशस्विनी गान्धारीदेवीसे मिलकर धीरे-धीरे दीनभावसे इस प्रकार कहा--
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
purohitāṃś ca paurāṃś ca gāndhārīṃ ca yaśasvinīm |
yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śanair dīna uvācedaṃ vacas tadā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then Yudhiṣṭhira, slowly and with a sorrowful heart, addressed these words to the priests and the townspeople, and also to the illustrious queen Gāndhārī. The scene underscores Yudhiṣṭhira’s sense of moral burden and his respectful turning toward elders, religious authorities, and the grieving queen as he prepares to speak in a measured, restrained manner.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical restraint and humility in speech: Yudhiṣṭhira approaches a sensitive moment by speaking slowly and sorrowfully to religious authorities, the public, and the bereaved queen, modeling accountability and reverence in the aftermath of grave events.
The narrator introduces a scene where Yudhiṣṭhira, weighed down by grief, is about to address an assembly that includes priests, citizens, and Queen Gāndhārī; the verse functions as a transition into his forthcoming statement.