Shloka 35
Jayadrathasya śoka-bhaya-vilāpaḥ — Droṇena āśvāsanaṃ ca
Jayadratha’s lament and Droṇa’s reassurance
क एष मृत्युर्भगवन् किंवीर्यबलपौरुष: । एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन श्रोतुं मतिमतां वर,“भगवन्! यह मृत्यु क्या है? इसका वीर्य, बल और पौरुष कैसा है? बुद्धिमानोंमें श्रेष्ठ महर्षे! मैं यह सब यथार्थरूपसे सुनना चाहता हूँ
ka eṣa mṛtyur bhagavan kiṃvīryabalapauruṣaḥ | etad icchāmi tattvena śrotuṃ matimatāṃ vara ||
Vyāsa said: “O Blessed one, who is this Death? What are his potency, strength, and manly prowess? O best among the wise, I wish to hear the truth of this in its real nature.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Death not merely as an event but as a principle worthy of philosophical inquiry—its nature, power, and agency. In the war context, it invites reflection on mortality and the limits of human prowess, urging a truthful understanding (tattvena) rather than fear or speculation.
Vyāsa addresses a revered interlocutor and asks for a precise account of ‘Death’—who it is and what kind of power, strength, and valor it possesses—seeking an authoritative explanation from the wisest source.