Mahabharata 15.20.9 — Ashramavasika Parva, Adhyaya 20, Shloka 9
अौर्ध्वदेहिक-श्राद्धे दानयज्ञविस्तारः | Expansion of the Aurdhvadehika Śrāddha and the Donation-Rite
तथैव वृद्ध पितरं हतपुत्र॑ जनेश्वरम् । गान्धारी च महाभागां विदुरं च महामतिम्
tathaiva vṛddha-pitaraṁ hata-putraṁ janeśvaram | gāndhārīṁ ca mahābhāgāṁ viduraṁ ca mahāmatim ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Demikian juga, mereka sentiasa dibebani fikiran tentang Dhṛtarāṣṭra yang tua—raja manusia yang anak-anaknya telah gugur—bersama Gāndhārī yang mulia dan Vidura yang berakal besar. Oleh kebimbangan yang tidak putus terhadap mereka yang direnggut perang itu, mereka tidak menemukan ketenteraman: hati tidak tenang dalam urusan negara, tidak juga pada kesenangan, bahkan dalam pengajian Veda pun tiada minat.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the moral and emotional aftermath of violence persists beyond victory: compassion for the bereaved and the weight of responsibility can dissolve interest in power, pleasure, and even study, pushing one toward detachment and a search for peace aligned with dharma.
Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a character’s continuing anxiety and lack of rest due to concern for the aged Dhṛtarāṣṭra (bereft of sons), along with Gāndhārī and Vidura—figures deeply affected by the war—showing the unsettled state of mind in the war’s aftermath.
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