Shloka 25
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः
एवमुक्त्वा ततः पार्थों ध्यायन्नास्ते महामना: । चिरमन्तर्मना भूत्वा शोकोपहतचेतन: । शोकर्त तमथो ज्ञात्वा दु:खोपहतचेतसम्
evam uktvā tataḥ pārtho dhyāyann āste mahāmanāḥ | ciram antarmanā bhūtvā śokopahatacetanaḥ | śokārtaṃ tam atho jñātvā duḥkhopahatacetasaṃ ||
Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, the great-souled Pārtha, sat down in deep contemplation. For a long while he remained withdrawn within himself, his awareness overwhelmed by grief. Seeing him stricken by sorrow, his mind crushed by anguish, (the onlooker understood) his inner collapse and the weight of dharma pressing upon him.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and psychological reality that even a noble person can be overwhelmed by grief when confronted with the consequences of war. It frames Arjuna’s inward collapse as a prelude to discernment: moral action (dharma) often requires moving from sorrow-driven paralysis to reflective clarity.
After speaking, Arjuna falls silent and sits absorbed in thought for a long time, his mind struck by grief and suffering. Sañjaya describes his withdrawn, sorrow-afflicted state, setting the stage for others to respond to his crisis.