Duryodhana’s Post-Duel Lament and Instructions (भग्नसक्थस्य विलापः)
राज्स्त्वन्धस्य वृद्धस्य हतपुत्रस्य केशव
rājastvandhasya vṛddhasya hataputrasya keśava
Vaiśampāyana sagte: „O Keśava, bedenke den König — blind und betagt, seiner Söhne beraubt.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse foregrounds the ethical residue of war: beyond victory and strategy lies the suffering of the vulnerable—here, an aged blind king who has lost his sons—prompting reflection on compassion and the true cost of adharma-driven conflict.
Vaiśampāyana addresses Keśava (Kṛṣṇa), drawing attention to the condition of the king—blind, old, and sonless after the slaughter—setting a tone of lament and moral reckoning in the post-battle context.