Shloka 14
मित्राणि द्रष्टकामेन पुत्राणां च बलाबलम् | अशोच्या: कुरवो राजन् येषां त्वमनुशासिता
mitrāṇi draṣṭakāmena putrāṇāṃ ca balābalam | aśocyāḥ kuravo rājan yeṣāṃ tvam anuśāsitā
யுதிஷ்டிரன் கூறினான்: அரசே, நண்பர்களின் நம்பிக்கையை அறிய விரும்பினாலும், மகன்களின் வலிமை-பலவீனத்தைச் சோதிக்க விரும்பினாலும்—நீ ஆட்சி செய்து ஒழுங்குபடுத்திய குருக்கள் புலம்பத்தக்கோர் அல்லர்.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames grief through the lens of dharma and kingship: when a ruler has already instructed and governed his people, their outcomes are tied to that governance; lamentation should give way to accountability, discernment, and principled action.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a king and comments on the Kurus, suggesting they are ‘not to be lamented for’ because they have been under the king’s discipline; he links the situation to assessing allies and evaluating the true strength or weakness of one’s sons.