Shloka 20

धृतराष्ट्रस्य उपालम्भः तथा पाण्डव-समाश्वासनम् | Dhṛtarāṣṭra Reproved and the Pāṇḍavas Consoled

Devanagari script

प्रत्यगृह्नाच्च तं विद्वान्‌ सूतो गावल्गणिस्तदा । मैवमित्यब्रवीच्चैनं शमयन्‌ सान्त्वयन्निव,उस समय उनके विद्वान्‌ सारथि गवल्गणपुत्र संजयने उन्हें पकड़कर उठाया और समझा-बुझाकर शान्त करते हुए कहा--“आपको ऐसा नहीं करना चाहिये"

Transliteration

pratyagṛhṇāc ca taṃ vidvān sūto gāvalgaṇis tadā | maivam ity abravīc cainaṃ śamayan sāntvayann iva ||

Translation

Then the wise charioteer Sañjaya, son of Gāvalgaṇa, caught hold of him and restrained him. Calming and consoling him, he said, “Do not act in this way.”

Word by Word

प्रत्यगृह्णात्seized, took hold of

चand

तम्him

विद्वान्the wise one

सूतःcharioteer

गावल्गणिःGāvalgaṇi (Sañjaya)

तदाthen

माdo not

एवम्thus, in this way

इतिthus (quotative)

अब्रवीत्said, spoke

चand

एनम्him (this one)

शमयन्pacifying, calming

सान्त्वयन्consoling, reassuring

इवas if, like

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sañjaya

Gāvalgaṇa

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?

In the midst of overwhelming sorrow, ethical conduct is upheld through restraint and compassionate counsel: a wise attendant prevents rash action and steadies the grieving person with calming words.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Sañjaya, the wise charioteer and son of Gāvalgaṇa, physically restrains the distressed person and, while soothing him, urges him not to behave in that manner.