Shloka 15
Gaṅgā-tīra Udaka-kriyā and Kuntī’s Disclosure of Karṇa’s Maternity
Strī-parva, Adhyāya 27
उवाच मातरं वीरो नि:श्वसन्निव पन्नग: । तदनन्तर पुरुषसिंह वीर कुन्तीपुत्र युधिष्ठिर सर्पके समान लंबी साँस खींचते हुए अपनी मातासे बोले-- ।। य: शरोर्मिर्ध्वजावर्तो महाभुजमहाग्रह:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
uvāca mātaraṃ vīro niḥśvasann iva pannagaḥ |
tad-anantaraṃ puruṣa-siṃhaḥ vīraḥ kuntī-putro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ sarpaka-samaṃ lambīṃ śvāsaṃ khīñcate hue apnī mātā se bole ||
yaḥ śaro 'rmir dhvaja-āvarto mahā-bhuja-mahā-grahaḥ
Vaiśampāyana said: The hero spoke to his mother, breathing heavily like a serpent. Then the lion among men—valiant Yudhiṣṭhira, Kuntī’s son—drawing long, snake-like breaths, addressed his mother. (He began to describe:) “That arrow—its surge like a wave, its whirling like a banner’s spiral, seized by a mighty-armed, formidable force …”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Yudhiṣṭhira’s moral and emotional crisis after the war: even a righteous victor can be shaken by the violence that produced victory. The heavy, serpent-like breathing signals inner turmoil, preparing for a dharmic reflection in which duty, consequence, and remorse collide.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira, overwhelmed, turns to his mother Kuntī and begins speaking while breathing deeply in distress. He starts describing a terrifying arrow/force (imagery of waves and whirlpools), setting up a lament or account of the destructive events and their impact.