Shloka 25
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Remorse and Vyāsa’s Teaching on Impermanence (Śoka-nivāraṇa)
न भोक्ष्ये न च पानीयमुपभोक्ष्ये कथठ्चन
na bhokṣye na ca pānīyam upabhokṣye kathaṃcana
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Aku tidak akan makan dan tidak akan minum; aku tidak akan mengambil makanan atau air dengan apa cara sekalipun.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights self-restraint as an ethical response to inner turmoil: when conscience is burdened, one may adopt austerity and refusal of comforts to reaffirm dharma, discipline desire, and signal seriousness about moral accountability.
In Śānti Parva’s post-war setting, Yudhiṣṭhira voices a firm resolve to abstain from food and drink, reflecting his intense grief and moral conflict after the devastation of the war and his struggle to reconcile kingship with righteousness.