Shloka 12
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Grief, Kṛṣṇa’s Consolation, and Vyāsa’s Admonition (युधिष्ठिरशोक-निवारणोपदेशः)
न हि शान्तिं प्रपश्यामि पातयित्वा पितामहम्
na hi śāntiṃ prapaśyāmi pātayitvā pitāmaham
Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Não vejo como a paz poderia algum dia vir a mim depois de ter derrubado o venerável avô.” Neste lamento, ele mede a vitória contra o dharma e a consciência, sentindo que a queda de Bhīṣma—reverenciado como ancião e pilar moral—manchou o triunfo com dor e inquietação ética.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when an act is performed under the pressure of duty and war, harming a revered elder can leave a lasting moral wound; true śānti is not guaranteed by victory, but depends on ethical reconciliation and inner accountability.
In the aftermath of the great war, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on the downfall of Bhīṣma (the Pitāmaha). He confesses that he cannot envision peace for himself, because the victory feels morally burdened by the act of bringing down the grandsire.