Mahabharata 9.59.31 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 59, Shloka 31
Chapter 59: Baladeva’s Censure, Keśava’s Restraint, and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Moral Accounting
संजय उवाच एवमुकक््त्वा सुदुःखार्तो निशश्वास स पार्थिव: । विललाप चिरं चापि धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर:
sañjaya uvāca evam uktvā suduḥkhārto niśaśvāsa sa pārthivaḥ | vilalāpa ciraṃ cāpi dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
ਸੰਜਯ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: ਹੇ ਰਾਜਨ! ਇਉਂ ਕਹਿ ਕੇ ਧਰਮਪੁੱਤਰ ਰਾਜਾ ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ ਘੋਰ ਦੁੱਖ ਨਾਲ ਆਕੁਲ ਹੋਇਆ, ਲੰਮਾ ਸਾਹ ਭਰਿਆ ਅਤੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਦੇਰ ਤੱਕ ਵਿਲਾਪ ਕਰਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that righteousness does not make one immune to sorrow; rather, a dharmic ruler feels the ethical burden of violence and loss more acutely. Yudhiṣṭhira’s long sigh and prolonged lament embody moral accountability and compassion in the wake of war.
Sañjaya reports that after speaking (referring to Yudhiṣṭhira’s preceding words), Yudhiṣṭhira—overcome by grief—lets out a deep sigh and continues lamenting for a long time, signaling an intense emotional and ethical crisis in the aftermath of the conflict.
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