Shloka 14
कि पाण्डवांस्ते पतितानुपास्य मोघ: श्रम: षण्ढतिलानुपास्य । एवं नृशंस: परुषाणि पार्था- नश्रावयद् धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्र:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
kiṁ pāṇḍavāṁs te patitān upāsya moghaḥ śramaḥ ṣaṇḍha-tilān upāsya |
evaṁ nṛśaṁsaḥ paruṣāṇi pārthān aśrāvayad dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putraḥ ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「この落ちぶれたパーンダヴァたちに仕えて、おまえに何の益があるというのか。むなしい骨折りにすぎぬ――実らぬ胡麻を育てるようなものだ。」かくして、ドリタラーシュトラの残忍な子ドゥッシャーサナは、パールタたちに数多の苛烈な言葉を浴びせた。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical collapse expressed through cruel, demeaning speech: contempt for the vulnerable and mockery of service to them is portrayed as nṛśaṁsatā (pitilessness). It implicitly contrasts adharma—humiliation and verbal violence—with the dharmic ideal of restraint and compassion in speech.
In the royal assembly context of the Sabha Parva, Duḥśāsana, identified as Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s cruel son, taunts the Pāṇḍavas as ‘fallen’ and uses a degrading metaphor to claim that serving them is pointless, thereby subjecting them to harsh verbal abuse.