Shloka 156
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament for Karṇa and Renunciation-Oriented Self-Assessment (शोक-प्रलापः / त्याग-प्रवृत्तिः)
इह चामुत्र चैवेति कृपणा: फलहेतव: । इसी प्रकार सभी माताएँ उपवास
iha cāmutra caiveti kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ |
尤提士提罗说道：“想着‘此世与彼世皆然’，可怜之人行事总以结果为念。母亲们亦复如是——渴望得一位卓越之子，便行斋戒、祭祀、誓愿、吉祥仪式等诸般修持，并在十月之间抚养滋养胎儿。她们的用意是：若孩子能平安降生，若出生后得以存活，若长成强健且具备善德，那么便能在此世与彼世都为我们带来安乐。故而那些困苦的母亲，皆盼望自己所作之‘果报’。”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how people often act with a strong expectation of reward—seeking benefit ‘here and hereafter.’ By calling such agents kṛpaṇa (“pitiable/attached”), it critiques fruit-motivated action and points toward a more dharmic ideal of acting without anxious clinging to outcomes.
In Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse, Yudhiṣṭhira remarks on human motivation: even loving, strenuous maternal practices (fasts, vows, rites during pregnancy) are frequently driven by the hope that virtuous, strong children will later provide happiness in both worlds.