Shloka 13
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Śrāddha Request and Bhīma’s Objection (Āśramavāsika-parva, Adhyāya 17)
कुन्तीके सभी पुत्र और सारी बहुएँ जब लौट गयीं, तब महाज्ञानी राजा धृतराष्ट्र वनकी ओर चले ।। पाण्डवाश्नातिदीनास्ते दुःखशोकपरायणा: । यानै: स्त्रीसहिता: सर्वे पुरं प्रवेविशुस्तदा,उस समय पाण्डव अत्यन्त दीन और दुःख-शोकमें मग्न हो रहे थे। उन्होने वाहनोंपर बैठकर स्त्रियोंसहित नगरमें प्रवेश किया
pāṇḍavāś cātitadinās te duḥkhaśokaparāyaṇāḥ | yānaiḥ strīsahitāḥ sarve puraṃ praveviśus tadā ||
पाण्डवाश्चातिदीनास्ते दुःखशोकपरायणा:। यानैः स्त्रीसहिता: सर्वे पुरं प्रविविशुस्तदा॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that worldly success does not erase moral and emotional consequences: even righteous victors may be overwhelmed by grief. It points to the ethical seriousness of violence and the duty to carry its aftermath with humility and restraint.
After Kuntī and the daughters-in-law return, the Pāṇḍavas—sorrowful and dejected—ride with the women and enter the city (Hastināpura). This moment frames the transition toward Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s movement toward the forest life and the broader theme of withdrawal from royal life.