Shloka 9
मा व्यथां कुरु राधेय नैवं त्वय्युपपद्यते
mā vyathāṁ kuru rādhēya naivaṁ tvayy upapadyate |
Sañjaya said: “Do not give way to distress, O Rādhā’s son; such dejection does not befit you. Even these kings, tormented by fear of Bhīmasena, are fleeing. King Duryodhana too, grieving over the death of his brothers, has become bewildered about what ought to be done.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the warrior-ethic of the epic, inner steadiness is presented as a mark of fitness for one’s role: grief and panic are natural, yet a leader must not collapse into dejection. The verse contrasts personal composure with the contagious fear spreading through the army, implying that courage and clarity of duty are moral necessities in crisis.
Sañjaya reports the battlefield mood: Karṇa is urged not to succumb to distress. Many allied kings are retreating in fear of Bhīma, and Duryodhana—shaken by the deaths of his brothers—has become uncertain and confused about the next course of action.