Shloka 20

ऋतुपर्णस्य विदर्भयात्रा-निश्चयः तथा बाहुकस्य हयपरिक्षा (Ṛtuparṇa’s resolve to go to Vidarbha and Bāhuka’s examination of horses)

Devanagari script

दारकौ च हि मे नीतौ वसतस्तत्र बालकौ । पित्रा विहीनौ शोकार्तो मया चैव कथं नु तौ,“मैंने अपने बच्चोंको पहले ही कुण्डिनपुर भेज दिया था। वे वहीं रहते हैं। पितासे तो उनका वियोग हो ही गया है; मुझसे भी वे बिछुड़ गये हैं, ऐसी दशामें वे शोकार्त बालक कैसे रहते होंगे?

Transliteration

dārakau ca hi me nītau vasatastatra bālakau | pitrā vihīnau śokārto mayā caiva kathaṃ nu tau ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Quả thật, ta đã sớm đưa hai đứa con thơ của ta đến Kuṇḍinapura; chúng đang ở đó. Chúng đã mất cha, nay lại xa ta nữa. Trong cảnh ấy, hai đứa trẻ ngập trong sầu khổ kia làm sao có thể sống yên?”

Word by Word

दारकौtwo children/sons

चand

हिindeed/for

मेof me / my

नीतौled/taken (away)

वसतःdwelling/living

तत्रthere

बालकौtwo boys

पित्राby/with the father

विहीनौdeprived (of)

शोक-आर्तौafflicted by grief

मयाby me / from me (as cause of separation)

चalso/and

एवindeed/just

कथम्how

नुindeed/then (interrogative particle)

तौthose two

Speaker

युदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

two children (sons)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of parental responsibility and compassion: even amid personal hardship, a righteous person feels acute concern for dependents, especially children suffering compounded loss and separation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira laments that his two young children, already separated from their father, are now also separated from him; he worries how they can endure life while overwhelmed by grief.