Shloka 2
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Remorse and Vyāsa’s Teaching on Impermanence (Śoka-nivāraṇa)
वृषसेने च धर्मज्ञे धृष्टकेतौ तु पार्थिवे । तथान्येषु नरेन््द्रेषु नानादेश्येषु संयुगे
vṛṣasene ca dharmajñe dhṛṣṭaketau tu pārthive | tathānyeṣu narendreṣu nānādeśyeṣu saṃyuge ||
ユディシュティラは言った。「さらに、ダルマを知るヴリシャセーナ、そして王ドリシュタケートゥも—諸国から集った多くの王たちとともに—この戦で倒れた。これを思えば悲嘆は募るばかりだ。私は親族殺しとなり、王権に貪り、あまりに苛烈で、自らの血統を断つ原因となってしまった。」
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical burden of war: even a ‘just’ victory can leave the victor morally shaken. Yudhiṣṭhira’s focus is not triumph but accountability—recognizing how the pursuit of power can turn one into a destroyer of kin and lineage, and how dharma demands sober reflection after violence.
In the aftermath of the Kurukṣetra war, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Vyāsa and lists notable warriors and kings who have died, including Vṛṣasena and Dhṛṣṭaketu, as well as many rulers from different regions. This enumeration intensifies his remorse and sets the stage for Śānti Parva’s broader instruction on dharma, governance, and inner peace.