Shloka 143
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Remorse and Vyāsa’s Teaching on Impermanence (Śoka-nivāraṇa)
अभिगम्य रणे मिथ्या पापेनोक्तः सुतं प्रति । सम्पूर्ण राजाओंसे पूजित, महाधनुर्धर आचार्यके पास जाकर मुझ पापीने उनके पुत्रके सम्बन्धमें झूठी बात कही
abhigamya raṇe mithyā pāpenoktaḥ sutaṃ prati | sampūrṇa-rājabhiḥ pūjitaṃ mahā-dhanurdharam ācāryam upagamya mayā pāpinā tasya putra-sambandhe mithyā vacaḥ uktam |
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Di tengah medan perang, aku—yang berdosa—mendekati guru yang mulia, disembah hormat oleh para raja dan termasyhur sebagai pemanah agung, lalu aku mengucapkan dusta kepadanya tentang puteranya. Di bawah tekanan perang, aku menodai diriku dengan tipu daya terhadap insan yang layak menerima kebenaran dan penghormatan.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when war and strategy demand harsh choices, untruth spoken to a worthy person becomes a moral stain. The verse highlights the inner accountability of dharma: victory cannot erase the ethical weight of deceit, and remorse is part of recognizing dharma’s authority.
Yudhiṣṭhira recalls the battlefield moment when he approached the revered teacher Droṇa and uttered a false statement concerning Droṇa’s son. He frames the act as sinful, emphasizing his own guilt and the ethical conflict created by wartime necessity.