Shloka 27
Rājarṣi-samāgamaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharma-parīkṣā ca
Meeting the Royal Sage and a Dharmic Audit
प्रजासंक्षेपसमये दण्डहस्तमिवान्तकम् । त॑ं दृष्टवा धर्मराजस्तु परिष्वज्य पुन: पुन:,उन्हें देखकर ऐसा प्रतीत होता था, मानो प्रजाके संहारकालमें दण्ड हाथमें लिये यमराज खड़े हों। भीमसेनको उस अवस्थामें देखकर धर्मराजने उन्हें बार-बार हृदयसे लगाया
prajāsaṃkṣepasamaye daṇḍahastam ivāntakam | taṃ dṛṣṭvā dharmarājas tu pariṣvajya punaḥ punaḥ |
Disse Vaiśampāyana: “Naquele momento, como se os seres estivessem diante da destruição, ele parecia o próprio Yama — a Morte — de pé, com o seu bastão na mão. Ao vê-lo em tal estado, o rei Yudhiṣṭhira o abraçou repetidas vezes, vencido pela dor e pelo afeto.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid fear and devastation, dharma expresses itself through compassion and humaneness: Yudhiṣṭhira responds not with harsh judgment but with repeated embrace, affirming familial duty, empathy, and moral steadiness in crisis.
Vaiśampāyana describes someone appearing terrifying—like Death holding a staff—yet Yudhiṣṭhira, seeing him in that distressed state, repeatedly embraces him, indicating deep concern and affection (traditionally understood as Yudhiṣṭhira consoling Bhīma after seeing his condition).