Shloka 13
Bhāgīrathī-tīra-śauca, Kurukṣetra-gamana, and Śatayūpa-āśrama-dīkṣā (गङ्गातीरशौच–कुरुक्षेत्रगमन–शतयूपाश्रमदीक्षा)
इयं च माता ज्येष्ठा मे शीतवाताध्वकर्शिता । घोरेण तपसा युक्ता देवी कच्चिन्न शोचति
iyaṃ ca mātā jyeṣṭhā me śītavātādhvakārśitā | ghoreṇa tapasā yuktā devī kaccin na śocati ||
尤提士提罗说道：“而这位是我的长母——为寒冷、风霜与旅途劳顿所摧折，已瘦削至极，正修行严酷的苦行。这位高贵的夫人，是否仍为那些在战场上殒命、坚守刹帝利之法、勇力无双的儿子们而悲恸？她可曾对我们这些有罪之人怀有一丝恶意？”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical aftermath of war: even victors remain burdened by remorse and fear of the bereaved’s grief or resentment. It points to the need for compassion, accountability, and the hope for forgiveness, while also portraying tapas as a response to unbearable loss.
In Āśramavāsika Parva, the royal elders have withdrawn to the forest. Yudhiṣṭhira observes Gāndhārī’s frailty from hardship and ascetic life and anxiously asks whether she still mourns her sons killed in the war and whether she wishes harm upon the Pāṇḍavas, whom he calls offenders.