Shloka 263
Gaṅgā-tīra Udaka-kriyā and Kuntī’s Disclosure of Karṇa’s Maternity
Strī-parva, Adhyāya 27
अभितो या: स्थितास्तत्र तस्मिन्नुदककर्मणि । राजन! इस प्रकार बहुत विलाप करके धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर फ़ूट-फूटकर रोने लगे। रोते- ही-रोते उन्होंने धीरे-धीरे कर्णके लिये जलदान किया। यह सब सुनकर वहाँ एकत्र हुई सारी स्त्रियाँ, जो वहाँ जलांजलि देनेके लिये सब ओर खड़ी थीं, सहसा जोर-जोरसे रोने लगीं
abhito yāḥ sthitās tatra tasminn udakakarmaṇi | rājan! … (gītā-press pāṭhe anantara-vṛttāntaḥ) dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ bahu vilapya phūṭ-phūṭkṛtya ruroda | rudadbhir eva śanaiḥ śanaiḥ karṇāya jaladānaṃ cakāra | etat śrutvā tatra samāgatāḥ sarvāḥ striyaḥ, yā udakāñjali-dānāya sarvataḥ sthitāḥ, sahasā uccaiḥ uccaiḥ ruroduḥ |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Di sekeliling tempat itu, pada upacara mempersembahkan air bagi yang telah meninggal, para wanita berdiri di setiap arah. Wahai Raja, setelah meratap lama, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira pun pecah menangis tanpa dapat ditahan. Sambil menangis, baginda perlahan-lahan melaksanakan persembahan air (jaladāna) untuk Karṇa. Mendengar hal itu, semua wanita yang berhimpun di sana—berdiri mengelilingi untuk mempersembahkan air dengan tangan dirapatkan—tiba-tiba menangis nyaring.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even after victory, dharma requires acknowledging loss and honoring the dead; Yudhiṣṭhira’s water-offering for Karṇa shows moral responsibility and compassion that transcend enmity, while grief is presented as a human and ethical response to the devastation of war.
During the post-war water-rite (udaka-karma), Yudhiṣṭhira laments intensely and, while still crying, performs the libation for Karṇa; the assembled women who are also there to offer water hear this and break into loud weeping.