Shloka 24
धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति व्यवहार-रक्षा-नियमनोपदेशः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Instruction on Administration, Punishment, and Daily Governance
न तदा त्वां पिता ज्येष्ठ: पितृत्वेनाभिवीक्षते | “जब तुम सब लोग तेरह वर्षोतक वनमें जंगली फल-मूल खाकर किसी तरह जी रहे थे, उन दिनों तुम्हारे ये ताऊजी पिताके भावसे तुम्हारी ओर नहीं देखते थे ।।
na tadā tvāṃ pitā jyeṣṭhaḥ pitṛtvenābhivīkṣate | kiṃ te tad vismṛtaṃ pārtha yad eṣa kula-pāṃsanaḥ ||
毗湿摩波耶那说道：“在那些日子里，你的长辈‘父亲’——你的叔父——并未以父亲之心看顾你。你忘了吗，婆罗多之子啊：当你们众人在森林中艰难度日十三年，以野果与根茎为食时，那个人——家族的耻辱——并未把你当作己出。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse rebukes the failure of elder guardians to uphold paternal responsibility (pitṛ-dharma). It frames neglect during hardship as a moral fault and urges remembrance of past injustice when judging character and duty.
Vaiśampāyana recalls how, during the Pāṇḍavas’ long forest hardship, the elder uncle who should have acted like a father did not show paternal concern. The speaker challenges Pārtha (Arjuna) not to forget this neglect and censures the offender as a disgrace to the lineage.