Shloka 19
शोचतो हि महाराज अघमेवाभिवर्धते । तस्माच्छोकं परित्यज्य श्रेयसे प्रयतेद् बुध:
śocato hi mahārāja agham evābhivardhate | tasmāc chokaṃ parityajya śreyase prayated budhaḥ ||
For one who grieves, O great king, misfortune alone increases. Therefore, casting off sorrow, a wise person should strive for what leads to true welfare and the higher good.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Grief is portrayed as unproductive and even harmful: indulging in lamentation amplifies adversity (agha). The wise response is to relinquish sorrow and direct one’s energy toward śreyas—what is truly beneficial, righteous, and conducive to long-term good.
Vyāsa addresses a king in a consolatory, instructive tone amid the calamities of the war narrative. He urges the ruler to move from emotional collapse (śoka) to discerning action guided by wisdom and the pursuit of welfare (śreyas).