Shloka 27
Rājarṣi-samāgamaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharma-parīkṣā ca
Meeting the Royal Sage and a Dharmic Audit
प्रजासंक्षेपसमये दण्डहस्तमिवान्तकम् । त॑ं दृष्टवा धर्मराजस्तु परिष्वज्य पुन: पुन:,उन्हें देखकर ऐसा प्रतीत होता था, मानो प्रजाके संहारकालमें दण्ड हाथमें लिये यमराज खड़े हों। भीमसेनको उस अवस्थामें देखकर धर्मराजने उन्हें बार-बार हृदयसे लगाया
prajāsaṃkṣepasamaye daṇḍahastam ivāntakam | taṃ dṛṣṭvā dharmarājas tu pariṣvajya punaḥ punaḥ |
Vaiśampāyana nói: “Khi ấy, như thể muôn loài đang đối diện giờ diệt vong, chàng hiện ra như chính Yama—Thần Chết—đứng đó, tay cầm trượng. Thấy chàng trong tình trạng ấy, vua Yudhiṣṭhira ôm chàng hết lần này đến lần khác, tràn ngập đau xót và thương yêu.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid fear and devastation, dharma expresses itself through compassion and humaneness: Yudhiṣṭhira responds not with harsh judgment but with repeated embrace, affirming familial duty, empathy, and moral steadiness in crisis.
Vaiśampāyana describes someone appearing terrifying—like Death holding a staff—yet Yudhiṣṭhira, seeing him in that distressed state, repeatedly embraces him, indicating deep concern and affection (traditionally understood as Yudhiṣṭhira consoling Bhīma after seeing his condition).