Shloka 323
सहदेवं वने दृष्टवा कस्मात् क्षमसि पार्थिव । महाराज युधिष्ठिर! माद्रीके परम सुन्दर पुत्र शूरवीर सहदेवको वनवासका दुःख भोगते देखकर आप शत्रुओंको क्षमा कैसे कर रहे हैं?
sahadevaṁ vane dṛṣṭvā kasmāt kṣamasi pārthiva | mahārāja yudhiṣṭhira mādrīke parama-sundara putra śūra-vīra sahadevako vanavāsakā duḥkha bhogate dekhakara āpa śatrūṅko kṣamā kaise kara rahe haiṅ? ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, why do you practice forgiveness after seeing Sahadeva in the forest? O great king Yudhiṣṭhira—Sahadeva, the supremely handsome, heroic son of Mādrī, is enduring the hardships of exile; seeing him suffer so, how can you still pardon your enemies?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between kṣamā (forgiveness/forbearance) and the demand for justice. It challenges whether a king’s patience remains righteous when it appears to prolong the suffering of the innocent—here, Sahadeva enduring exile—thus probing how dharma balances compassion, responsibility, and rightful action.
The speaker addresses King Yudhiṣṭhira, questioning his continued forgiveness toward enemies despite witnessing Sahadeva—Mādrī’s heroic son—suffer the hardships of forest exile. The line functions as a moral provocation: why tolerate or pardon adversaries when one’s own kin is paying the price?