Shloka 8
रावणोत्पत्तिः—तपसा वरलाभश्च
Rāvaṇa’s Origins and the Acquisition of Boons
तान् वेपमानान् वित्रस्तान् बीजमात्रावशेषितान् | मृगान् दृष्टवा सुदुःखार्तो धर्मराजो युधिषिर:,वे सिंह-बाघ आदि पशु त्रस्त होकर थर-थर काँप रहे थे और बीजमात्र ही शेष रह गये थे। उनकी यह दयनीय दशा देखकर धर्मराज युधिष्छिर अत्यन्त दुःखसे व्याकुल हो गये
tān vepamānān vitrastān bījamātrāvaśeṣitān | mṛgān dṛṣṭvā suduḥkhārto dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
恐怖に震え、すっかり狼狽し、ただわずかな残りにまで追い詰められたその森の獣たちを見て、法に堅く立つユディシュティラ王は深い悲しみに圧倒された。彼らの哀れな有様は王の良心と慈悲を揺さぶり、弱き者の苦しみに対して統治者の倫理の感受性が試されることを示した。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A dharmic ruler is defined not only by power but by moral perception: the ability to feel and respond to the suffering of helpless beings. Yudhiṣṭhira’s grief signals compassion as an essential component of righteous conduct.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira sees deer (and, by context, other forest creatures) trembling in terror and reduced to a scant remnant. Witnessing their miserable state, he becomes intensely distressed.