Shloka 26
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः
मा शुचो भरतमश्रेष्ठ न त्वं शोचितुमरहसि
mā śuco bharataśreṣṭha na tvaṃ śocitum arhasi
Sañjaya said: “Do not grieve, O best of the Bharatas; you have no cause to lament.” In the war narrative, the line serves as moral reassurance—calling the listener away from paralyzing sorrow toward steadiness and rightful action in accordance with dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse discourages grief that weakens discernment and resolve. It urges emotional steadiness and moral composure, implying that one should face events—especially in a dharmic crisis like war—without collapsing into lamentation.
Sañjaya, narrating the battlefield events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, addresses him as “best of the Bharatas” and counsels him not to grieve—an attempt to steady the king as he hears of the unfolding conflict and its consequences.