Shloka 9

शोकाकुल-युधिष्ठिरं प्रति कुन्त्याः कालोचितोपदेशः | Kuntī’s Timely Counsel to the Grief-Stricken Yudhiṣṭhira

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तो धर्मराजस्तु मात्रा बाष्पाकुलेक्षण: । उवाच वाक्यं धर्मात्मा शोकव्याकुलितेन्द्रिय:

Transliteration

ity ukto dharmarājas tu mātrā bāṣpākulekṣaṇaḥ | uvāca vākyaṃ dharmātmā śokavyākulitendriyaḥ ||

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า—เมื่อมารดากล่าวดังนั้น ธรรมราชยุธิษฐิระมีดวงตาเอ่อด้วยน้ำตา ความโศกทำให้ประสาทสัมผัสของพระองค์สั่นคลอน แล้วกษัตริย์ผู้ทรงธรรมจึงตรัสตอบว่า—“แม่เอ๋ย ด้วยการปกปิดความลับนี้ไว้ ท่านได้ทำให้ข้าพเจ้าระทมทุกข์ยิ่งนัก.”

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उक्तः: having been spoken to / addressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मराजः: King Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• धर्मराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• मात्रा: by (his) mother
• मात्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• बाष्पाकुल-ईक्षणः: whose eyes were filled with tears
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाष्पाकुलेक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वाक्यम्: a statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शोक-व्याकुलित-इन्द्रियः: whose senses were agitated by grief
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोकव्याकुलितेन्द्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Mother (Kuntī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of concealed truth within family and dharma: secrecy meant to protect can still generate profound suffering and moral turmoil when revealed, especially for a ruler committed to righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Kuntī speaks to him, Yudhiṣṭhira is overcome with sorrow—his eyes brimming with tears—and he responds, expressing anguish that she kept a sensitive, confidential matter hidden from him.