Shloka 24
धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति व्यवहार-रक्षा-नियमनोपदेशः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Instruction on Administration, Punishment, and Daily Governance
न तदा त्वां पिता ज्येष्ठ: पितृत्वेनाभिवीक्षते | “जब तुम सब लोग तेरह वर्षोतक वनमें जंगली फल-मूल खाकर किसी तरह जी रहे थे, उन दिनों तुम्हारे ये ताऊजी पिताके भावसे तुम्हारी ओर नहीं देखते थे ।।
na tadā tvāṃ pitā jyeṣṭhaḥ pitṛtvenābhivīkṣate | kiṃ te tad vismṛtaṃ pārtha yad eṣa kula-pāṃsanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Naqueles dias, teu ‘pai’ mais velho—teu tio—não te olhava com sentimento de paternidade. Esqueceste, ó Pārtha, que, quando todos vós mal sobrevivíeis na floresta por treze anos, vivendo de frutos e raízes silvestres, aquele homem—vergonha da linhagem—não vos tratou como filhos seus?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse rebukes the failure of elder guardians to uphold paternal responsibility (pitṛ-dharma). It frames neglect during hardship as a moral fault and urges remembrance of past injustice when judging character and duty.
Vaiśampāyana recalls how, during the Pāṇḍavas’ long forest hardship, the elder uncle who should have acted like a father did not show paternal concern. The speaker challenges Pārtha (Arjuna) not to forget this neglect and censures the offender as a disgrace to the lineage.