Shloka 13
Adhyāya 55 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Hesitation and Bhīṣma’s Authorization of Inquiry
Rājadharma Prelude
“जिन्होंने शास्त्रोंके रहस्यका श्रवण किया है, जो सदा ही यज्ञ, स्वाध्याय और धर्ममें लगे रहनेवाले तथा क्षमाशील हैं, वे पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिर मुझसे प्रश्न करें” ।।
vāyudeva uvāca | lajjayā parayopeto dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | abhiśāpabhayād bhīto bhavantaṃ nopasarpati | pūjyān mānyāṃś ca bhaktāṃś ca gurūn sambandhi-bāndhavān | arghya-haniṣubhir bhittvā bhavantaṃ nopasarpati |
风神说道：“法王阎提施提罗深陷极大的羞惭，又因惧怕诅咒而惊惶，故不敢近前。既以箭矢刺穿了那些应受礼敬与尊荣之人——可敬的长者、忠诚的随从、师长，乃至应受恭敬供献的亲族与眷属——如今他因恐惧而不敢来到你身旁。”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a righteous person can be overwhelmed by moral shame after violence, especially when it harms those traditionally owed reverence (gurus, elders, kin). The verse highlights the ethical weight of actions and the fear of spiritual/social consequences (a curse) that can follow wrongdoing or perceived wrongdoing.
Vāyudeva explains why Yudhiṣṭhira is not approaching the addressed revered figure: Yudhiṣṭhira feels intense shame and fears being cursed because, in the course of conflict, he has struck down or wounded people who were worthy of honor—teachers, elders, devotees, and relatives—so he hesitates to come near.