Shloka 156
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament for Karṇa and Renunciation-Oriented Self-Assessment (शोक-प्रलापः / त्याग-प्रवृत्तिः)
इह चामुत्र चैवेति कृपणा: फलहेतव: । इसी प्रकार सभी माताएँ उपवास
iha cāmutra caiveti kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ |
ユディシュティラは言った。「『この世でも、かの世でも』と思い、哀れな者たちは結果を求めて行為する。同じように母たちも—すぐれた子を望んで—断食、供犠（ヤジュニャ）、誓戒（ヴラタ）、吉祥の儀礼などを修し、十か月のあいだ胎児を養い守る。彼女らの願いはこうだ。子が無事に生まれ、生後も命を保ち、強く育って善き徳を備えるなら、この世とかの世の双方で私たちに安楽をもたらすだろう。ゆえに苦しむ母たちは、自らの行いの『果』を切に求めるのだ。」
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how people often act with a strong expectation of reward—seeking benefit ‘here and hereafter.’ By calling such agents kṛpaṇa (“pitiable/attached”), it critiques fruit-motivated action and points toward a more dharmic ideal of acting without anxious clinging to outcomes.
In Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse, Yudhiṣṭhira remarks on human motivation: even loving, strenuous maternal practices (fasts, vows, rites during pregnancy) are frequently driven by the hope that virtuous, strong children will later provide happiness in both worlds.