Shloka 8
Koṭikāśya’s Inquiry to the Radiant Woman near the Kadamba (कोटिकाश्यप्रश्नः)
एवमुक्ते तु धर्मात्मा ज्येष्ठ: पाण्डुसुतस्तदा
evam ukte tu dharmātmā jyeṣṭhaḥ pāṇḍusutas tadā
When these words had been spoken, the righteous-souled eldest son of Pāṇḍu then (responded/was poised to respond). The line foregrounds the ethical stature of the senior Pāṇḍava, implying that his next action or reply will be measured against dharma even amid hostile speech.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma as an inner disposition: the eldest Pāṇḍava is identified first by moral character (dharmātmā) rather than power, suggesting that rightful response in conflict should be guided by ethical steadiness.
After Duryodhana has spoken, the narration turns to the eldest son of Pāṇḍu—implicitly Yudhiṣṭhira—marking the transition to his reaction or reply and framing it through his reputation for righteousness.