Shloka 16
Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)
स्वसुतं चाप्यजिप्रत् त॑ मूर्थ्नि प्रेम्णा द्विजोत्तम: । परिष्वज्य चिरं काल तदा भरतसत्तम
svasutaṃ cāpy ajīprat taṃ mūrdhni premṇā dvijottamaḥ | pariṣvajya ciraṃ kālaṃ tadā bharatasattama ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The foremost of the twice-born then affectionately kissed his own son upon the head; and, O best of the Bharatas, he embraced him for a long time—an intimate gesture of reconciliation and familial tenderness amid the surrounding turmoil.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within a war-epic setting, the text foregrounds dharmic humaneness: affection, reconciliation, and the honoring of familial bonds are presented as ethically significant acts that restore dignity and emotional order.
The narrator reports a tender moment: an eminent brāhmaṇa shows deep affection to his son—kissing him on the head and embracing him for a long time—signaling acceptance and emotional reunion.