Shloka 693

Devanagari script

हेतुकारणसंयुक्तर्वाक्यैराश्वासयत्‌ प्रभु: । तब महाबाहु भगवान्‌ केशवने शोकसे दुर्बल हुई गान्धारीको कितने ही कारण बताकर युक्तियुक्त वचनोंद्वारा आश्वासन दिया--धीरज बँधाया

Transliteration

hetukāraṇasaṁyuktair vākyair āśvāsayat prabhuḥ | tadā mahābāhu bhagavān keśavaḥ śokena durbalāṁ gāndhārīṁ katibhiḥ kāraṇaiḥ kathayitvā yuktiyuktair vacanaiḥ āśvāsayām āsa ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then the mighty-armed Lord Keśava, seeing Gāndhārī weakened by grief, consoled her with reasoned words—setting forth many causes and explanations—and steadied her mind with arguments grounded in propriety and truth.

Word by Word

• हेतु-कारण-संयुक्तैः: with reason-and-cause-connected (i.e., well-reasoned)
• हेतु-कारण-संयुक्तैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेतुकारणसंयुक्त
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• वाक्यैः: with words/sentences
• वाक्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• आश्वासयत्: consoled/comforted
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्वस् (causative: आश्वासयति)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रभुः: the lord/master
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Gāndhārī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In the face of overwhelming loss, the text highlights a dharmic mode of consolation: grief is met not with denial but with clear reasoning about causes, responsibility, and the larger moral order. Proper counsel (yuktiyukta vacana) aims to restore steadiness and ethical clarity rather than inflame emotion.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the devastation of the war, Gāndhārī is overcome by sorrow. Keśava (Kṛṣṇa) addresses her, offering multiple reasons and carefully argued words to reassure her and help her regain composure.