Shloka 186
Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)
विजानातु नृपो दु:खं यत् प्राप्तं पाण्डुनन्दनै: । “आजसे वे स्वयं ही दासतुल्य होकर कुन्तीपुत्र युधिष्ठिरकी परिचर्या करते हुए अच्छी तरह समझ लें कि “पाण्डवोंने पहले कितना कष्ट उठाया था?”
vijānātu nṛpo duḥkhaṃ yat prāptaṃ pāṇḍunandanaiḥ |
Sañjaya said: “Let the king truly understand the suffering that befell the sons of Pāṇḍu.” The remark points to a moral reckoning: only by acknowledging what the Pāṇḍavas endured can one judge their deeds—and the war’s tragic necessity—with fairness.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse urges ethical clarity: a ruler must acknowledge the real suffering endured by others—especially those wronged—before passing judgment. Recognition of hardship becomes a prerequisite for justice and responsible kingship.
Sañjaya, reporting events to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, frames the unfolding war and its consequences by reminding him to comprehend the Pāṇḍavas’ past afflictions—implying that their present actions and claims cannot be evaluated without that context.