Shloka 14
मित्राणि द्रष्टकामेन पुत्राणां च बलाबलम् | अशोच्या: कुरवो राजन् येषां त्वमनुशासिता
mitrāṇi draṣṭakāmena putrāṇāṃ ca balābalam | aśocyāḥ kuravo rājan yeṣāṃ tvam anuśāsitā
ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು: ರಾಜನೇ, ಮಿತ್ರರ ನಿಷ್ಠೆಯನ್ನು ನೋಡಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಆಸೆಯಿಂದಾಗಲಿ, ಪುತ್ರರ ಬಲಾಬಲವನ್ನು ಪರೀಕ್ಷಿಸಬೇಕೆಂಬುದರಿಂದಾಗಲಿ—ನಿನ್ನ ಅನುಶಾಸನದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಕುರುಗಳು ಶೋಕಯೋಗ್ಯರಲ್ಲ.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames grief through the lens of dharma and kingship: when a ruler has already instructed and governed his people, their outcomes are tied to that governance; lamentation should give way to accountability, discernment, and principled action.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a king and comments on the Kurus, suggesting they are ‘not to be lamented for’ because they have been under the king’s discipline; he links the situation to assessing allies and evaluating the true strength or weakness of one’s sons.