Shloka 14
Āśvamedhika-parva, Adhyāya 14
Consolation of Yudhiṣṭhira; Rites and Gifts; Return to Hastināpura
एवं नातिमहान् काल: स तेषां संन्यवर्तत । कुर्वतां शौचकार्याणि भीष्मस्य निधने तदा,भीष्मकी मृत्युके पश्चात् शौचकार्य सम्पन्न करते हुए पाण्डवोंका कुछ काल वहीं व्यतीत हुआ (यथा मनुर्महाराजो रामो दाशरथिर्यथा । तथा भरतसिंहो5पि पालयामास मेदिनीम् ।।
evaṁ nātimahān kālaḥ sa teṣāṁ saṁnyavartata | kurvatāṁ śaucakāryāṇi bhīṣmasya nidhane tadā ||
毗舍摩波耶那说道：毗湿摩逝世之后，般度诸子依照法度行净化与哀悼之礼；时日未久，他们仍留在彼处，专注于这些庄严的职责。此偈标示一段静默的转折：从丧失之痛的暴烈余波，转入以纪律重建秩序——以奉行达摩来承认悲恸，并使众人由丧服之中整肃心志，复归正法之治。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the aftermath of immense loss, dharma requires structured response: grief is not denied, but regulated through śauca (purificatory and mourning observances). The verse highlights ethical continuity—ritual discipline becomes the bridge from death and disorder back to stability and righteous life.
Following Bhīṣma’s demise, the Pāṇḍavas remain on site and carry out the required śaucakāryas. The narrator notes that this period does not last long, signaling a transition from funeral observances toward the next phase of the story—re-establishing governance and public order.