Shloka 24
Adhyāya 125: Raṅga-pradarśana — Arjuna’s Entry and Astric Demonstration (रङ्गप्रदर्शनम्)
अन्विष्यामीह भर्तारिमहं प्रेतवशं गतम् | उत्तिष्ठ त्वं विसृज्यैनमिमान् पालय दारकान्
anviṣyāmīha bhartārim ahaṃ pretavaśaṃ gatam | uttiṣṭha tvaṃ visṛjyainam imān pālaya dārakān, avāpya putrān labdhātmā vīrapatnītvam arthaye |
Kuntī berkata: “Di sini aku akan menyusul suamiku yang telah jatuh di bawah kuasa maut. Engkau, bangkitlah—lepaskan baginda—dan peliharalah anak-anak ini. Setelah memperoleh putera-putera, tujuan duniaku telah sempurna; kini aku mendambakan martabat isteri seorang wira, dengan mengikuti tuanku ke dalam api pembakaran jenazah.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a tension between personal devotion to a spouse and continuing obligations to dependents: Kuntī presents self-sacrifice as an ideal of wifely fidelity, while simultaneously assigning Mādrī the dharmic duty of protecting and raising the children.
After Pāṇḍu’s death, Kuntī addresses Mādrī, declaring her intention to follow her husband in death and instructing Mādrī to rise, let go of the dead body, and take responsibility for the children’s care.