Yudhiṣṭhira’s Remorse and Vyāsa’s Teaching on Impermanence (Śoka-nivāraṇa)
अभिगम्य रणे मिथ्या पापेनोक्तः सुतं प्रति । सम्पूर्ण राजाओंसे पूजित, महाधनुर्धर आचार्यके पास जाकर मुझ पापीने उनके पुत्रके सम्बन्धमें झूठी बात कही
abhigamya raṇe mithyā pāpenoktaḥ sutaṃ prati | sampūrṇa-rājabhiḥ pūjitaṃ mahā-dhanurdharam ācāryam upagamya mayā pāpinā tasya putra-sambandhe mithyā vacaḥ uktam |
尤提希提罗说:“在战阵之中,我这罪人走近那位受诸王敬奉、以神弓著称的可敬师长,却就其子之事对他妄言。战争的逼迫之下,我以欺诳玷污自身,负了本应以真实与敬礼相待之人。”
युधिछिर उवाच
Even when war and strategy demand harsh choices, untruth spoken to a worthy person becomes a moral stain. The verse highlights the inner accountability of dharma: victory cannot erase the ethical weight of deceit, and remorse is part of recognizing dharma’s authority.
Yudhiṣṭhira recalls the battlefield moment when he approached the revered teacher Droṇa and uttered a false statement concerning Droṇa’s son. He frames the act as sinful, emphasizing his own guilt and the ethical conflict created by wartime necessity.