Shloka 18
अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
कुन्त्याश्व यन्महाराज द्रौपद्याश्व हृदि स्थितम् “महाराज! गान्धारी, कुन्ती और द्रौपदीके हृदयमें भी जो दुःख सदा बना रहता है, वह भी मुझे ज्ञात है ।। यच्च धारयते तीव्र दु:खं पुत्रविनाशजम्
Vaiśampāyana uvāca |
Kuntyāś ca yan mahārāja draupadyāś ca hṛdi sthitam |
Yac ca dhārayate tīvraṃ duḥkhaṃ putra-vināśajam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O great king, I know the sorrow that abides in the heart of Kuntī and also in that of Draupadī—indeed, the intense grief they continue to bear, born of the destruction of their sons.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the enduring, inward burden of grief—especially a mother’s grief after the loss of children—inviting ethical reflection on the true cost of violence and the need for compassion toward those who silently endure suffering.
Vaiśampāyana, narrating to King Janamejaya, points to the continuing sorrow residing in Kuntī’s and Draupadī’s hearts, emphasizing that even after the war’s conclusion, the pain of losing sons remains intense and unresolved.