Shloka 873
प्रविष्टो हास्तिनपुरं बाष्पकण्ठो5श्रुलोचन: । सूर्यके अस्त होते-होते नेत्रोंसे आँसू बहाते हुए उसने उन सबके साथ हस्तिनापुरमें प्रवेश किया। उस समय उसका गला भर आया था
sañjaya uvāca | praviṣṭo hāstinapuraṃ bāṣpakaṇṭho 'śrulocanaḥ | sūrye 'staṃ hote-hote netrābhyām aśrūṇi muñcan sa taiḥ sarvaiḥ saha hāstinapuraṃ praviśat | tadā tasya kaṇṭhaḥ pūrṇa ivābhavat |
Sañjaya sprach: Mit vom Schluchzen zugeschnürter Kehle und tränenfeuchten Augen trat er in Begleitung der anderen in Hāstinapura ein. Als die Sonne unterging, strömten ihm unablässig Tränen aus den Augen; in jenem Augenblick versagte ihm die Stimme, überwältigt von Kummer und vom moralischen Gewicht dessen, was geschehen war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical aftermath of violence: even the messenger-witness is shaken. It underscores that adharma and war do not end with victory or defeat; they culminate in grief, accountability, and the heavy emotional cost borne by individuals and the polity.
Sañjaya, overcome with sorrow, enters the Kuru capital Hāstinapura with others as evening falls. His tears and choked voice signal the tragic news and the devastated state of the kingdom after the catastrophic events of the war.