Shloka 25
Vyāsa’s Inquiry into Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Tapas and the Identification of Vidura with Dharma
तमुवाचाथ गान्धारी मैवं पुत्र शृणुष्व च त्वय्यधीनं कुरुकुलं पिण्डश्न श्वशुरस्य मे,यह सुनकर गान्धारीने कहा--“बेटा! ऐसी बात न कहो। मैं जो कहती हूँ उसे सुनो। यह सारा कुरुकुल तुम्हारे ही अधीन है। मेरे श्वशुरका पिण्ड भी तुमपर ही अवलम्बित है; अतः पुत्र! तुम जाओ, तुमने हमारे लिये जितना किया है, वही बहुत है। तुम्हारे द्वारा हमलोगोंका स्वागत-सत्कार भलीभाँति हो चुका है। इस समय महाराज जो जअज्ञा दे रहे हैं, वही करो; क्योंकि पिताका वचन मानना तुम्हारा कर्तव्य है”
tam uvāca atha gāndhārī mā evaṁ putra śṛṇuṣva ca tvayy adhīnaṁ kurukulaṁ piṇḍaśna śvaśurasya me
Disse Vaiśampāyana: Então Gāndhārī lhe falou: “Meu filho, não digas assim; ouve o que te digo. Toda a linhagem dos Kuru depende de ti, e até a oferenda ancestral (piṇḍa) para meu sogro repousa sobre ti. Portanto, meu filho, vai—o que fizeste por nós já é suficiente. Tu nos recebeste e honraste como convém. Agora faz exatamente o que o rei ordena, pois obedecer à palavra do pai é teu dever.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes dharma as obedience to elders—especially a father’s command—and the responsibility of sustaining family continuity through care and ancestral rites (piṇḍa). Personal emotion or self-denigration is set aside in favor of duty and social-religious obligations.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Gāndhārī addresses her son, restraining him from speaking despairingly and urging him to depart and follow the king’s instruction. She reminds him that the Kuru household and even the performance of ancestral offerings depend on him, and that he has already fulfilled the duties of hospitality toward them.