Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament for Karṇa and Renunciation-Oriented Self-Assessment (शोक-प्रलापः / त्याग-प्रवृत्तिः)
को हि बन्धु: कुलीन: संस्तथा ब्रूयात् सुहृज्जने । यथासाववददू वाक्यं युयुत्सु: कृष्णसंनिधौ
ko hi bandhuḥ kulīnaḥ saṃstathā brūyāt suhṛjjane | yathāsāv avadad vākyam yuyutsuḥ kṛṣṇasaṃnidhau ||
ಸಂಧಿಗಾಗಿ ಬಂದಿದ್ದ ಶ್ರೀಕೃಷ್ಣನ ಸನ್ನಿಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಯುದ್ಧೇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದ ಯುಯುತ್ಸು ಹೇಳಿದಂತಹ ಮಾತುಗಳನ್ನು—ಯಾವ ಕುಲೀನ ಸಹೋದರನೋ ಬಂಧುವೋ ತನ್ನ ಸುಹೃದರಿಗೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಹೇಳಬಲ್ಲನು?
युधिछिर उवाच
Nobility is measured by conduct, especially restrained and truthful speech toward one’s own well-wishers; kinship and good birth do not justify harsh, divisive, or war-inciting words.
Yudhiṣṭhira reflects critically on a provocative statement made in Kṛṣṇa’s presence, questioning how any well-born relative could speak so against friends—highlighting the moral tension around counsel, loyalty, and the impulse toward war.