Shloka 11
Adhyāya 39 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on attachment (saṅga) and relational restraint
एतत् कारणमाज्ञाय दृष्टवा देवासुरं पुरा । युद्ध पिता मे हृष्टात्मा विस्मित: समपद्यत
etat kāraṇam ājñāya dṛṣṭvā devāsuraṃ purā | yuddhe pitā me hṛṣṭātmā vismitaḥ samapadyata ||
既明此因，又曾在往昔目睹天神与阿修罗之战，我父——心神振奋——竟于那战阵之中充满惊异。
शम्बर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that grasping the underlying cause (kāraṇa) behind events changes one’s inner response: even in war, understanding can give rise to clarity and reflective astonishment rather than blind turmoil.
Śambara speaks about an earlier time when he (or his side) witnessed the ancient conflict between gods and asuras; upon understanding the reason behind what was occurring, his father became uplifted and amazed during the battle.