Shloka 15
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Remorse and Vyāsa’s Teaching on Impermanence (Śoka-nivāraṇa)
तन्मे दहति गात्राणि यन्मां गुरुभाषत
tan me dahati gātrāṇi yan māṃ gurur abhāṣata | tadā gurur mām apṛcchat—“rājan, satyaṃ vada, kiṃ me putro jīvati?” | sa brāhmaṇaḥ satyanirṇayārthaṃ mām etad apṛcchat | tasya vākyasya smṛtyā me sarvaṃ śarīraṃ śokāgninā dagdhaṃ bhavati ||
尤提士提罗说道：“那记忆灼烧我的四肢——是师长曾对我说过的话。当时导师问我：‘大王，说出真相——我的儿子还活着吗？’那位婆罗门如此发问，只为裁定真理所要求的是什么。每当我忆起此言，周身便如被悲火炙烤。”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical weight of satya (truthfulness) and the inner suffering that can follow when truth is tested in painful circumstances. Even when a question is posed to ascertain truth, the moral burden and emotional consequences can be intense, reminding the listener that dharma is not merely rule-following but lived responsibility.
Yudhiṣṭhira recalls a moment when his guru (a brāhmaṇa teacher) asked him directly whether the guru’s son was alive. The question was meant to force a clear decision about truth. Remembering that exchange now causes Yudhiṣṭhira deep anguish, described as his body burning in the fire of grief.