Shloka 4
नारदेन धृतराष्ट्रगतिवर्णनम् | Nārada’s Account of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Future Course
कच्चिद् बुद्धिंदृढां कृत्वा चरस्यारण्यकं विधिम् | कच्चिद् वधूश्न गान्धारी न शोकेनाभिभूयते
kaccid buddhiṃ dṛḍhāṃ kṛtvā carasy āraṇyakaṃ vidhim | kaccid vadhūś ca gāndhārī na śokenābhibhūyate ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Have you steadied your resolve and are you living according to the austere disciplines of forest-dwelling? And does your daughter-in-law Gāndhārī remain unoverpowered by grief?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights two linked virtues of late-life dharma: steadfast resolve in following prescribed ascetic discipline (āraṇyaka-vidhi) and mastery over grief. It implies that spiritual practice is not merely external hardship but also inner governance of sorrow and attachment.
In the Āśramavāsika context, the elders have withdrawn to the forest after the devastation of the Kurukṣetra war. The speaker inquires with concern whether the forest rules are being properly observed and whether Gāndhārī, burdened by the loss of her sons, is able to endure without being overwhelmed by grief.