Shloka 29
स्त्रीपर्व — अध्याय १५: गान्धारी-युधिष्ठिर-संवादः
Gandhārī’s Confrontation and Consolation of Yudhiṣṭhira
तस्यावनतदेहस्य पादयोर्निपतिष्यत: । युधिष्ठिरस्य नृपतेर्धर्मज्ञा दीर्घदर्शिनी,राजा युधिष्ठिर शरीरको झुकाकर गान्धारीके चरणोंपर गिर जाना चाहते थे। इतनेहीमें धर्मको जाननेवाली दूर-दर्शिनी देवी गान्धारीने पट्टीके भीतरसे ही राजा युधिष्ठिरके पैरोंकी अंगुलियोंके अग्रभाग देख लिये। इतनेहीसे राजाके नख काले पड़ गये। इसके पहले उनके नख बड़े ही सुन्दर और दर्शनीय थे
tasyāvanata-dehasya pādayor nipatiṣyataḥ | yudhiṣṭhirasya nṛpater dharmajñā dīrgha-darśinī ||
Vaiśampāyana said: As King Yudhiṣṭhira, bending his body low, was about to fall at her feet, the far-seeing, dharma-knowing Gāndhārī perceived—through the cloth that covered her eyes—the very tips of his toes. From that mere glance, the king’s nails turned dark, though before they had been notably beautiful and pleasing to behold. The moment underscores how moral authority and inner power, born of austerity and righteous insight, can bless or wound even without physical sight.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral and spiritual authority is not merely physical; it arises from dharma, restraint, and inner vision. Even a restrained, indirect act—like Gāndhārī’s perception through her blindfold—can carry ethical force, reminding rulers that accountability after violence is real and can manifest in subtle but consequential ways.
After the war, Yudhiṣṭhira approaches Gāndhārī in humility, intending to prostrate at her feet. Though blindfolded, Gāndhārī perceives the tips of his toes, and the power of her gaze causes his nails to darken—an ominous sign within the larger episode of grief, reproach, and the consequences of the Kurukṣetra war.