Shloka 18
Uttanka’s Inquiry and Vāsudeva’s Adhyātma Exposition
Guṇa–Ritual–Immanence Teaching
ततो यमक्षयं जग्मु: समासाद्येतरेतरम् । पज्चैव पाण्डवा: शिष्टा हतामित्रा हतात्मजा: । धार्रराष्ट्रश्न निहता: सर्वे ससुतबान्धवा:
tato yamakṣayaṁ jagmuḥ samāsādya itaretaram | pañcaiva pāṇḍavāḥ śiṣṭā hatāmitrā hatātmajāḥ | dhārtarāṣṭrāś ca nihatāḥ sarve sasutabāndhavāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Kemudian mereka saling bertembung dan pergi ke alam Yama—menemui ajal dalam pertempuran sesama sendiri. Dalam perang itu, hanya lima orang Pāṇḍava yang tinggal hidup setelah menewaskan musuh-musuh mereka; namun anak-anak lelaki mereka juga terbunuh. Semua Dhārtarāṣṭra—putera-putera Dhṛtarāṣṭra yang dilahirkan oleh Gāndhārī—binasa bersama anak-anak dan kaum kerabat mereka.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when a side ‘wins’ a war, the ethical and human cost can be total: hatred and adharma consume both victor and vanquished. The verse highlights the tragic symmetry of destruction—enemies are slain, but one’s own sons and kin are also lost—warning that violence fractures lineage, joy, and moral order.
Vaiśampāyana summarizes the outcome of the great conflict: the combatants meet death and go to Yama’s realm. Only the five Pāṇḍavas remain alive, though their sons are dead; Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (the Dhārtarāṣṭras), born of Gāndhārī, are all annihilated along with their sons and relatives.