Shloka 143
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Remorse and Vyāsa’s Teaching on Impermanence (Śoka-nivāraṇa)
अभिगम्य रणे मिथ्या पापेनोक्तः सुतं प्रति । सम्पूर्ण राजाओंसे पूजित, महाधनुर्धर आचार्यके पास जाकर मुझ पापीने उनके पुत्रके सम्बन्धमें झूठी बात कही
abhigamya raṇe mithyā pāpenoktaḥ sutaṃ prati | sampūrṇa-rājabhiḥ pūjitaṃ mahā-dhanurdharam ācāryam upagamya mayā pāpinā tasya putra-sambandhe mithyā vacaḥ uktam |
ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಯುದ್ಧದ ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಪಿಯಾದ ನಾನು, ರಾಜರಿಂದ ಪೂಜಿತನಾಗಿದ್ದ ಮಹಾಧನುರ್ಧರ ಆಚಾರ್ಯನ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ, ಅವರ ಪುತ್ರನ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಹೇಳಿದೆನು.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when war and strategy demand harsh choices, untruth spoken to a worthy person becomes a moral stain. The verse highlights the inner accountability of dharma: victory cannot erase the ethical weight of deceit, and remorse is part of recognizing dharma’s authority.
Yudhiṣṭhira recalls the battlefield moment when he approached the revered teacher Droṇa and uttered a false statement concerning Droṇa’s son. He frames the act as sinful, emphasizing his own guilt and the ethical conflict created by wartime necessity.