Shloka 20
भीष्मसेनापत्याभिषेकः
Bhīṣma’s Appointment as Commander-in-Chief
धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर यह देखकर कि युद्ध छिड़नेपर अवध्य पुरुषोंका भी वध करना पड़ेगा, खेदसे लंबी साँसें खींचते हुए भीमसेन और अर्जुनसे इस प्रकार बोले ।। यदर्थ वनवासश् प्राप्तं दु:खं च यन्मया । सो<5यमस्मानुपैत्येव परो<नर्थ: प्रयत्नतः,“जिससे बचनेके लिये मैंने वनवासका कष्ट स्वीकार किया और नाना प्रकारके दुःख सहन किये, वही महान् अनर्थ मेरे प्रयत्मसे भी टल न सका। वह हमलोगोंपर आना ही चाहता है
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ tad dṛṣṭvā yuddhe pravṛtte 'vadhyapuruṣāṇām api vadhaṃ kartavyaṃ bhaviṣyatīti khedāt dīrghāni niśvāsān muñcan bhīmasenārjunau prati evam uvāca || yadarthaṃ vanavāsaḥ prāptaṃ duḥkhaṃ ca yanmayā | so 'yam asmān upaity eva paro 'narthaḥ prayatnataḥ ||
Disse Vaiśaṃpāyana: Vendo que, uma vez iniciada a guerra, até mesmo aqueles que não deveriam ser mortos teriam de ser abatidos, o rei Yudhiṣṭhira—pesado de remorso, soltando longos suspiros—disse a Bhīmasena e a Arjuna: “Para evitar justamente este desfecho aceitei a dureza do exílio na floresta e suportei muitos sofrimentos. Contudo, essa grande calamidade não foi afastada nem mesmo por meus esforços; está decidida a cair sobre nós.”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tragedy of war: once violence begins, even those protected by dharma may be harmed. Yudhiṣṭhira’s lament underscores that righteous intent and personal sacrifice (exile) may still fail to prevent collective catastrophe, raising the tension between moral restraint and unavoidable duty.
On the brink of the Kurukṣetra conflict, Yudhiṣṭhira realizes that war will compel the killing of people who should not be slain. Overcome with remorse, he speaks to Bhīma and Arjuna, saying that the very disaster he tried to avert by accepting forest exile is now inevitably approaching.