Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Śrāddha Request and Bhīma’s Objection (Āśramavāsika-parva, Adhyāya 17)
सर्वे चासन् निरुत्साहा: पाण्डवा जातमन्यव: । कुन्त्या हीना: सुदुःखार्ता वत्सा इव विनाकृता:
sarve cāsan nirutsāhāḥ pāṇḍavā jātamanyavaḥ | kuntyā hīnāḥ suduḥkhārtā vatsā iva vinākṛtāḥ ||
毗湿摩波耶那说:般度五子尽皆失却精神,新起的怒火又被点燃。与昆蒂分离后,他们为剧烈的悲痛所淹没——躁动不安,如同失去母牛的牛犊。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights the ethical and psychological role of elders: when a moral anchor like Kuntī is lost, even dharma-trained heroes can become dispirited, grief-stricken, and prone to fresh anger. It points to the need for steadiness (dhairya) and mutual support in bereavement.
Vaiśampāyana describes the Pāṇḍavas’ emotional collapse after being separated from Kuntī. They lose their former resolve, become intensely sorrowful, and are compared to calves anxiously searching for their mother.