Shloka 3536
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament for Karṇa and Renunciation-Oriented Self-Assessment (शोक-प्रलापः / त्याग-प्रवृत्तिः)
हत्वा नो विगतो मन्यु: शोको मां रुन्धयत्ययम् । हमने शूरवीरोंको मारा, पाप किया और अपने ही देशका विनाश कर डाला। शत्रुओंको मारकर हमारा क्रोध तो दूर हो गया, परंतु यह शोक मुझे निरन्तर घेरे रहता है
hatvā no vigato manyuḥ śoko māṃ rundhayaty ayam |
युधिष्ठिर उवाच— हत्वा नः विगतो मन्युः, शोको माम् रुणद्ध्ययम्। वयं शूरान् निहत्य पापं कृतवन्तः, स्वदेशं च विनाशितवन्तः। शत्रून् हत्वा क्रोधोऽपगतोऽस्माकं, किन्त्वयं शोकः सततं मां परिवर्तते।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical aftermath of violence: even when anger is satisfied through victory, the moral and emotional consequences—grief, guilt, and a sense of sin—can persist. It frames the need for śānti (inner peace) and dharmic reflection after war.
In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira, shaken after the Kurukṣetra war, speaks of his continuing sorrow. Though the immediate rage against enemies has ended, he feels overwhelmed by grief and remorse for the killing of heroes and the devastation brought upon his own kingdom.