Shloka 42

Abhimanyu’s Śrāddha; Vyāsa’s Assurance of the Unborn Heir (अभिमन्योः श्राद्धं तथा गर्भरक्षणोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

एवं स निधन प्राप्तो दौहित्रस्तव मानद । संतापं त्यज दुर्धर्ष मा च शोके मन: कृथा:,“मानद! इस प्रकार आपका दौहित्र अभिमन्यु मृत्युको प्राप्त हुआ है। दुर्धर्ष वीर! आप संताप छोड़ दें और मनको शोकमग्न न करें!

Transliteration

evaṁ sa nidhanaṁ prāpto dauhitrastava mānada | saṁtāpaṁ tyaja durdharṣa mā ca śoke manaḥ kṛthāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O Spender der Ehre, so hat der Sohn deiner Tochter, Abhimanyu, den Tod gefunden. O unbezwingbarer Held, lass diesen brennenden Kummer fahren und gestatte nicht, dass dein Geist zu Trauer geformt werde.“

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

सःhe

निधनम्death, destruction

प्राप्तःhaving attained/reached

दौहित्रःgrandson (daughter's son)

तवof you, your

मानदO giver of honor (honored one)

संतापम्grief, anguish

त्यजabandon, give up

दुर्धर्षO unconquerable one

माdo not

चand

शोकेin grief, in sorrow

मनःmind

कृथाःmake, place (do not make)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Abhimanyu

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse urges restraint and inner steadiness in the face of bereavement: grief may arise, but one should not let the mind be overtaken by it. It reflects a dharmic ideal of self-control and acceptance of mortality, especially in a war-context where death is an expected consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that the listener’s grandson (Abhimanyu) has died and offers consolation, advising the addressed hero not to remain consumed by sorrow and to relinquish tormenting grief.