Shloka 1
Adhyāya 16 — Daiva, Kṣatriya-dharma, and Public Reassurance to Dhṛtarāṣṭra
ऑपन-माजल बछ। जि सप्तदशो< ध्याय: कुन्तीका पाण्डवोंको उनके अनुरोधका उत्तर कुन्त्युवाच एवमेतन्महाबाहो यथा वदसि पाण्डव । कृतमुद्धर्षणं पूर्व मया व: सीदतां नृपा:
Kuntī uvāca—evam etan mahābāho yathā vadasi Pāṇḍava | kṛtam uddharṣaṇaṃ pūrvaṃ mayā vaḥ sīdatāṃ nṛpāḥ ||
昆蒂说道：“是的——你所言确是如此，噢，臂力雄伟的般度之子。往昔你们诸王历尽艰难而疲惫沮丧之时，正是我激励你们振作，催你们起而行事。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Kuntī frames her earlier incitement as a responsible act: when rightful rulers become dispirited, a guardian-elder may rouse them to fulfill kṣatriya-duty. The ethical point is that encouragement toward action can be justified when it restores resolve for dharma rather than serving personal anger or gain.
In response to the Pāṇḍavas’ remarks, Kuntī agrees with their assessment and explains her past conduct: seeing them exhausted and dejected after prolonged suffering, she deliberately stirred them up—preparing them mentally for the struggle that culminated in war.