Shloka 14
अभिमन्युविलापः (Abhimanyu-vilāpa) — Uttarā’s lament, observed and framed by Gandhārī
न स्मराम्यपराधं ते कि मां न प्रतिभाषसे । ननु मां त्वं पुरा दूरादभिवीक्ष्याभिभाषसे,“मैंने कोई अपराध किया हो, ऐसा तो मुझे स्मरण नहीं है, फिर क्या कारण है कि आप मुझसे नहीं बोलते हैं। पहले तो आप मुझे दूरसे भी देख लेनेपर बोले बिना नहीं रहते थे
na smarāmy aparādhaṃ te ki māṃ na pratibhāṣase | nanu māṃ tvaṃ purā dūrād abhivīkṣyābhibhāṣase ||
I do not recall having committed any offense against you. Why, then, do you not reply to me? In earlier days, even from a distance, you would see me and speak at once, never withholding your words.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical tension in relationships: silence can function as a form of censure or withdrawal, and the speaker appeals to fairness by asking for a reason. It implies that communication and accountability—stating the grievance rather than withholding speech—are important for maintaining dharmic conduct amid grief and anger.
Within Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a character addresses another who has become unresponsive. The speaker insists they remember no wrongdoing and contrasts the present cold silence with the past warmth, when the other would speak even upon seeing them from afar—signaling a rupture in affection or respect in the aftermath of events.