Mahabharata 11.13.7 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 7
Gāndhārī’s Grief, Vyāsa’s Pacification, and the Ethics of Retaliation (गान्धारी-शोकः शमोपदेशश्च)
उच्यमानस्तु यः श्रेयो गृह्नीते नो हिताहिते । आपद: समनुप्राप्प स शोचत्यनये स्थित:,“जो हितकी बात बतानेपर भी हिताहितकी बातको नहीं समझ पाता, वह अन्यायका आश्रय ले बड़ी भारी विपत्तिमें पड़कर शोक करता है
ucyamānastu yaḥ śreyo gṛhṇīte no hitāhite | āpadaḥ samanupprāpya sa śocaty anaye sthitaḥ ||
قال فايشَمبايانا: «حتى إذا أُشير إليه بما هو نافعٌ حقًّا، فإن من لا يميّز بين النافع والضار—حين تدنو منه المصائب—يتشبث بالظلم ثم ينوح، وهو عالقٌ في ذلك المسلك الآثم.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person must discern and accept śreyas (true good) and distinguish hita from ahita; ignoring sound counsel and persisting in anaya (unrighteous conduct) leads to crisis and inevitable grief.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration within the Strī Parva’s lamentation context, a general moral reflection is stated: those who do not heed beneficial instruction and cannot judge good versus harmful outcomes are overtaken by calamity and end up grieving due to their own wrongful stance.
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