Shloka 24
धृतराष्ट्राश्रमगमनम् — The Pandavas’ Procession to Dhritarashtra’s Hermitage
जगाम तदहश्चापि तेषां वर्षशतं यथा । निशां प्रतीक्षमाणानां दिदृक्षूणां मृतान् नूपान्,मृत राजाओंको देखनेकी इच्छासे सभी लोग वहाँ रात होनेकी प्रतीक्षा करते रहे; अतः वह दिन उनके लिये सौ वर्षोके समान जान पड़ा तो भी वह धीरे-धीरे बीत ही गया
jagāma tad ahaś cāpi teṣāṁ varṣaśataṁ yathā | niśāṁ pratīkṣamāṇānāṁ didṛkṣūṇāṁ mṛtān nṛpān ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: Aquele dia também passou — mas para eles pareceu como cem anos. Pois aguardavam a chegada da noite, desejosos de contemplar os reis já falecidos; assim, sob o peso do luto e da expectativa, o próprio tempo parecia alongar-se, embora o dia, lentamente, chegasse ao fim.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how attachment and sorrow distort the experience of time, underscoring impermanence: even as events inevitably move forward, the mind—burdened by grief and longing—makes a single day feel like an age.
The people present are waiting for nightfall, eager to see the departed kings. Their anticipation and mourning make the day seem interminable, though it still passes.