उशनसः (शुक्रस्य) चरितम् — The Account of Uśanā (Śukra): Yoga, Grievance, and Pacification
कदा वयं करिष्याम: संन्यासं दुःखसंज्ञकम् | दुःखमेतच्छरीराणां धारणं कुरुसत्तम
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kadā vayaṁ kariṣyāmaḥ saṁnyāsaṁ duḥkhasaṁjñakam | duḥkham etac charīrāṇāṁ dhāraṇaṁ kurusattama ||
Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Bao giờ chúng ta mới thực hành xuất ly—điều được gọi như thế vì gắn liền với khổ đau? Bởi với ta, ngay việc mang lấy thân này cũng đã là khổ, hỡi bậc tối thượng của dòng Kuru.”
युधिछिर उवाच
The verse frames embodied existence as inherently burdensome and points toward saṁnyāsa (renunciation) as a response to pervasive duḥkha. It signals an ethical turn from external action to inner release—questioning when it is appropriate to lay down worldly striving and seek liberation-oriented discipline.
In the Śānti Parva’s post-war reflective setting, Yudhiṣṭhira voices weariness with worldly life and the pain of sustaining the body. Addressing a revered Kuru elder (kurusattama), he asks when they will adopt renunciation, indicating his growing inclination toward ascetic counsel and liberation-focused dharma.