Shloka 38
Duryodhana’s Post-Duel Lament and Instructions (भग्नसक्थस्य विलापः)
पाणिमालम्ब्य राजेन्द्र सुस्वरं प्रसरोद ह । राजेन्द्र! तदनन्तर यादवश्रेष्ठ श्रीकृष्ण धृतराष्ट्रका हाथ अपने हाथमें लेकर उन्मुक्त स्वरसे फूट-फूटकर रोने लगे ।। स मुहूर्तादिवोत्सृज्य बाष्पं शोकसमुद्धवम्,उन्होंने दो घड़ीतक शोकके आँसू बहाकर शुद्ध जलसे नेत्र धोये और विधिपूर्वक आचमन किया। तत्पश्चात् शत्रुदमन श्रीकृष्णने राजा धृतराष्ट्रसे प्रस्तुत वचन कहा--“भारत! आप वृद्ध पुरुष हैं; अतः कालके द्वारा जो कुछ भी संघटित हुआ और हो रहा है, वह कुछ भी आपसे अज्ञात नहीं है। प्रभो! आपको सब कुछ अच्छी तरह विदित है
pāṇim ālambya rājendra susvaraṃ prasarod ha | rājendra! tadanantaraṃ yādavaśreṣṭhaḥ śrīkṛṣṇo dhṛtarāṣṭrasya hastaṃ svahastena gṛhītvā unmuktasvarena phūṭ-phūṭkar arodīt || sa muhūrtād iva utsṛjya bāṣpaṃ śokasamudbhavam netre śuddhajalena prakṣālya vidhivat ācamya tataḥ śatrudamanaḥ śrīkṛṣṇo rājānaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ prati idaṃ vacanam uvāca— “bhārata! tvaṃ vṛddhapuruṣaḥ; ataḥ kālena yat kiṃcid ghaṭitaṃ vartate ca tat sarvaṃ tava na ajñātam | prabho! sarvaṃ te suviditam” ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Taking the king’s hand, Kṛṣṇa broke into loud, unrestrained weeping. After a while, having let the grief-born tears flow, he washed his eyes with pure water and performed ācamana according to rule. Then Kṛṣṇa, the subduer of foes, addressed King Dhṛtarāṣṭra: “O Bhārata, you are an aged man; therefore nothing that Time has brought about, or is bringing about, is unknown to you. Lord, you know all this well.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames catastrophic events through the lens of Kāla (Time) and mature discernment: an elder king is expected to recognize the inevitability of what Time brings, while still acknowledging human grief. It also models restraint and dharmic conduct—after emotional outpouring, one returns to ritual purity and measured speech.
Kṛṣṇa takes Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s hand and weeps openly. After some time he composes himself, washes his eyes, performs ācamana, and then begins a serious address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, reminding him that as an elder he already understands what Time has caused and is causing.