Shloka 15

Devanagari script

न जानपदिकं दुःखमेक: शोचितुमहति । अशोचन्‌ प्रतिकुर्वीत यदि पश्येदुपक्रमम्‌,सारे देशपर आये हुए संकटके लिये किसी एक व्यक्तिको शोक करना उचित नहीं है। यदि उस संकटको टालनेका कोई उपाय दिखलायी दे तो शोक छोड़कर उसे ही करना चाहिये

Transliteration

na jānapadikaṃ duḥkham ekaḥ śocitum arhati | aśocan pratikurvīta yadi paśyed upakramam ||

Translation

Nārada said: “When a calamity has befallen an entire region, it is not fitting that a single person should grieve as though it were his alone. If one can see a practical means to avert or counter it, then abandoning grief, one should act to remedy it.”

Word by Word

नnot

जानपदिकम्pertaining to the people/country (public)

दुःखम्sorrow, distress

एकःone (person) alone

शोचितुम्to grieve

अर्हतिis fit/ought

अशोचन्not grieving

प्रतिकुर्वीतshould counteract/should take remedial action

यदिif

पश्येत्should see

उपक्रमम्means/measure, undertaking, remedy

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Grief is unproductive when a widespread disaster strikes; if a remedy is possible, one should restrain lamentation and take effective action. The verse emphasizes discernment (seeing a means) and duty-oriented response over solitary, self-centered sorrow.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Nārada offers counsel on conduct: when suffering is collective (jānapadika), an individual should not merely mourn; upon recognizing a feasible upakrama (practical measure), one should actively work to counter the संकट.