Shloka 293
ऋषिसमागमः — युधिष्ठिरस्य शोकवर्णनम्
Sage Assembly and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Articulation of Grief
भीतो रणे श्वेतवाहादिति मां मंस्थते जन: । “माताजी! यदि तुम्हारे मतके अनुसार मैं इस समय युधिष्ठिरके साथ संधि कर लूँ तो सब लोग यही समझेंगे कि “कर्ण युद्धमें अर्जुनसे डर गया”
bhīto raṇe śvetavāhād iti māṃ maṃsthate janaḥ |
जनो मां रणे श्वेतवाहाद् भीतमिति मन्यते। “मातः! यदि तव मतानुसारम् अद्य युधिष्ठिरेण सह संधिं कुर्याम्, तदा सर्वे एव निश्चयेनैव मन्येरन्— ‘कर्णो युद्धे अर्जुनाद् भीतः’।”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between choosing a prudent peace and preserving a warrior’s public honor. It shows how concern for reputation can pressure a person to reject reconciliation even when it may reduce harm, raising questions about whether dharma is guided by inner rightness or by public perception.
The speaker expresses anxiety that if he accepts a peace with Yudhiṣṭhira now, people will interpret it as fear of Arjuna (called ‘the White-horsed one’). The line frames a moment where counsel toward compromise is weighed against the stigma of seeming cowardly in the context of impending or ongoing conflict.