Shloka 37
ऋषिसमागमः — युधिष्ठिरस्य शोकवर्णनम्
Sage Assembly and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Articulation of Grief
अथ शूरो महेष्वास: पार्थेनाजी निपातित: । अहं त्वज्ञासिषं पश्चात् स्वसोदर्य द्विजोत्तम
atha śūro maheṣvāsaḥ pārthenājau nipātitaḥ | ahaṁ tv ajñāsiṣaṁ paścāt svasodarya dvijottama ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Kemudian di medan perang, pahlawan itu—pemanah agung—telah dijatuhkan oleh Pārtha (Arjuna). Namun hanya selepas itu barulah aku mengetahui—wahai yang terbaik antara kaum dwija—bahawa dia ialah saudara kandungku. Apabila aku mendengar daripada ibuku Kuntī, lama sesudah peristiwa itu, bahawa ‘Karṇa ialah abang sulung kami, lahir daripada ibu yang sama’, hatiku direnggut pedih yang tajam, kerana akulah yang telah menyebabkan saudaraku terbunuh.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of actions done in ignorance and the painful consequences of delayed truth. Even when war-deeds align with kṣatriya duty, the revelation of kinship transforms victory into moral anguish, underscoring the Mahābhārata’s insistence that dharma is complex and emotionally costly.
After the war, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects that Karṇa—slain by Arjuna in battle—was later revealed by their mother Kuntī to be their eldest full brother. Yudhiṣṭhira laments that he effectively caused his own brother’s death and is overwhelmed by grief and remorse.