Shloka 14

Duryodhana’s Post-Duel Lament and Instructions (भग्नसक्थस्य विलापः)

Devanagari script

एवं विचिन्त्य बहुधा भयशोकसमन्वित: । वासुदेवमिदं वाक्य धर्मराजो5भ्यभाषत,इस तरह अनेक प्रकारसे विचार करके धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर भय और शोकमें डूब गये और वसुदेवनन्दन भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णसे बोले--

Transliteration

evaṁ vicintya bahudhā bhayaśokasamanvitaḥ | vāsudevam idaṁ vākyaṁ dharmarājo 'bhyabhāṣata ||

Translation

Nachdem er auf vielerlei Weise nachgedacht hatte, von Furcht und Kummer überwältigt, richtete König Yudhiṣṭhira, der Hüter des Dharma, diese Worte an Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa).

Word by Word

एवम्thus

विचिन्त्यhaving reflected/considered

बहुधाin many ways

भयशोकसमन्वितःendowed with fear and grief

वासुदेवम्Vasudeva (Krishna)

इदम्this

वाक्यम्speech/words

धर्मराजःDharma-king (Yudhishthira)

अभ्यभाषतspoke/addressed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)

Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dhārmic leadership as grounded in careful deliberation: even a righteous king, shaken by fear and sorrow, seeks guidance rather than acting impulsively. Ethical action is shown to arise from reflection and counsel, especially in moments of emotional turmoil.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira, after thinking deeply and being overcome by fear and grief, turns to Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) and begins to speak—setting up a counsel-filled exchange in the Shalya Parva context.