Shloka 9
Adhyāya 62: Marutta’s Treasure and the Pāṇḍavas’ Auspicious Departure (मरुत्तस्य धनप्राप्त्युपक्रमः)
नाभुड्क्त पतिदु:खार्ता तदभूत् करुणं महत् | कुक्षिस्थ एव तस्याथ गर्भो वै सम्प्रलीयत,राजेन्द्र! विराटकुमारी उत्तराने पतिके दुःखसे आतुर हो बहुत दिनोंतक भोजन ही नहीं किया। उसकी वह दशा बड़ी ही करुणाजनक थी। उसके गर्भका बालक उदरहीमें पड़ा- पड़ा क्षीण होने लगा
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: nābhukt patiduḥkhārtā tad abhūt karuṇaṃ mahat | kukṣistha eva tasyātha garbho vai sampralīyata, rājendra |
Vaiśampāyana said: Overwhelmed by grief for her husband, she did not eat; her condition became deeply pitiable. Then, O lord of kings, the embryo in her womb began to waste away while still within her belly. The passage underscores how intense sorrow can endanger life itself, and it evokes the ethical duty of kin and community to protect and sustain the vulnerable in times of bereavement.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral urgency of compassion and care: overwhelming grief can imperil both the bereaved and the unborn, so dharma includes sustaining and protecting those weakened by loss.
Uttarā, distressed by her husband’s death, stops eating; her condition becomes pitiable, and the fetus in her womb begins to weaken—setting the stage for later intervention to preserve the heir.