Shloka 13
दृष्टवा तु पतितं पद्भ्यां धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । धनंजयममित्रघ्नं रुदन्तं भरतर्षभ
dṛṣṭvā tu patitaṃ padbhyāṃ dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | dhanañjayam amitraghnaṃ rudantaṃ bharatarṣabha ||
Disse Sañjaya: Vendo Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), o destruidor de inimigos, caído a seus pés e chorando, o rei Yudhiṣṭhira, firme no dharma, ergueu-o com profundo afeto e apertou-o contra o peito. Oprimido pelo peso do parentesco e pela calamidade da guerra, o próprio rei justo então se desfez e chorou em voz alta.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid the harsh demands of kṣatriya warfare, dharma is not mere severity; it includes compassion and responsibility toward one’s own. Yudhiṣṭhira’s response shows that righteous leadership holds space for grief and tenderness, not only strategy and victory.
Arjuna, overwhelmed, falls at Yudhiṣṭhira’s feet and weeps. Yudhiṣṭhira lifts him up and embraces him, and then the normally composed Dharmarāja himself breaks down in tears—signaling the emotional cost of the battle and the deep bond between the brothers.