Shloka 1
अध्याय ९ — धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति राजनित्युपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Royal Policy to Yudhiṣṭhira
अफ--रू- दशमो< ध्याय: प्रजाकी ओरसे साम्ब नामक ब्राह्मणका धृतराष्ट्रको सान्त्वनापूर्ण उत्तर देना वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तास्तु ते तेन पौरजानपदा जना: । वृद्धेन राज्ञा कौरव्य नष्टसंज्ञा इवाभवन्
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: evam uktās tu te tena paurajānapadā janāḥ | vṛddhena rājñā kauravya naṣṭasaṃjñā ivābhavan ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Thus addressed by him, the townsmen and the people of the countryside, O descendant of the Kurus, were struck as if senseless by the words of the aged king.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral gravity of suffering and counsel in the aftermath of catastrophe: when an aged ruler speaks from lived loss, society is compelled into silence and reflection, recognizing the weight of dharma, responsibility, and the consequences of collective actions.
After the aged king addresses them, the city-dwellers and villagers become stunned—'as if senseless'—indicating that his words (and the situation surrounding him) deeply shock and emotionally overwhelm the gathered people.