Shloka 18
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament for Karṇa and Renunciation-Oriented Self-Assessment (शोक-प्रलापः / त्याग-प्रवृत्तिः)
पितृभ्यो देवताभ्यश्व गता वैवस्वतक्षयम्,परंतु उनका यह उद्योग सर्वथा निष्फल हो गया; क्योंकि हमलोगोंने उन सब माताओंके नवयुवक पुत्रोंको, जो विशुद्ध सुवर्णमय कुण्डलोंसे अलंकृत थे, मार डाला है। वे इस भूलोकके भोगोंके उपभोगका अवसर न पाकर देवताओं और पितरोंका ऋण उतारे बिना ही यमलोकमें चले गये
pitṛbhyo devatābhyaś ca gatā vaivasvatakṣayam; parantu teṣāṃ udyogaḥ sarvathā niṣphalaḥ saṃvṛttaḥ, yataḥ asmābhiḥ tāḥ sarvā mātaraḥ—yeṣāṃ navayuvakāḥ putrāḥ viśuddha-suvarṇamaya-kuṇḍalaiḥ alaṅkṛtāḥ—hatāḥ. te iha-lokasya bhogān anubhavituṃ avasaraṃ na prāpya, devatṛ-ṛṇaṃ ca pitṛ-ṛṇaṃ ca anapākṛtyaiva yama-lokaṃ gatāḥ.
ସେମାନେ ବୈବସ୍ୱତ ଯମଙ୍କ ଧାମକୁ ଗଲେ; ଦେବତା ଓ ପିତୃମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ କରାଯାଇଥିବା ସମସ୍ତ ଉଦ୍ୟମ ସର୍ବଥା ନିଷ୍ଫଳ ହେଲା। କାରଣ ଆମେ ସେଇ ମାଆମାନଙ୍କ ଅତି ଯୁବ ପୁଅମାନଙ୍କୁ—ଶୁଦ୍ଧ ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣମୟ କୁଣ୍ଡଳରେ ଅଲଙ୍କୃତ—ବଧ କରିଦେଇଛୁ। ଏହି ଭୂଲୋକର ଭୋଗ ଉପଭୋଗର ସୁଯୋଗ ନ ପାଇ, ଦେବଋଣ ଓ ପିତୃଋଣ ଅଦାୟ ନ କରି, ସେମାନେ ଯମଲୋକକୁ ପ୍ରସ୍ଥାନ କଲେ।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames war-death as an ethical rupture: young men die before fulfilling life’s dharmic obligations—especially debts to gods and ancestors—so even well-meant ritual or social efforts become ‘fruitless’ when the lineage and its duties are cut off by violence.
In the aftermath of the Kurukṣetra war, Yudhiṣṭhira laments that many youths—adorned and in their prime—have been killed by their side, and thus have gone to Yama’s realm without enjoying worldly life or repaying obligations to gods and forefathers, intensifying his sense of culpability and sorrow.