Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 293

Devanagari script

आश्वासयामास तदा गड्जां दामोदरो विभु: । श्रीकृष्ण और व्यासजीके द्वारा पुत्र-शोकाकुला गज्भाजीको सान्त्वना ऐसी बातें कहकर जब महानदी गंगाजी बहुत विलाप करने लगीं

Transliteration

āśvāsayāmāsa tadā gaṅgāṃ dāmodaro vibhuḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then the all-powerful Dāmodara (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) spoke words of reassurance to the river Gaṅgā, who—overwhelmed by grief for her son and lamenting greatly—had begun to wail.

Word by Word

• आश्वासयामास: consoled, reassured
• आश्वासयामास: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्वस् (धातु) / आश्वासय् (णिजन्त)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद) — परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट, प्रथम, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• गड्जाम्: Gadjā (proper name), her
• गड्जाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गड्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दामोदरः: Dāmodara (Krishna)
• दामोदरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विभुः: the mighty/sovereign one
• विभुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dāmodara (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Gaṅgā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical ideal of compassion and steadiness: when grief overwhelms, a wise guide offers reassurance that helps the sufferer return to balance and to a dharmic acceptance of what cannot be changed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gaṅgā, stricken by sorrow for her son and lamenting intensely, is consoled by Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Dāmodara), as narrated by Vaiśampāyana.