Shloka 19

Devanagari script

दुर्योधन न शोचामि त्वामहं भरतर्षभ । इमौ तु वृद्धौं शोचामि गान्धारीं पितरं च ते,'भरतभूषण दुर्योधन! मैं तुम्हारे लिये शोक नहीं करता। मुझे तो तुम्हारे इन बूढ़े माता- पिता गान्धारी और धृतराष्ट्रके लिये भारी शोक हो रहा है

Transliteration

duryodhana na śocāmi tvām ahaṃ bharatarṣabha | imau tu vṛddhau śocāmi gāndhārīṃ pitaraṃ ca te ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O Duryodhana, bull among the Bharatas, I do not grieve for you. Rather, I grieve deeply for your aged parents—Gāndhārī and your father Dhṛtarāṣṭra.”

Word by Word

दुर्योधनO Duryodhana

नnot

शोचामिI grieve

त्वाम्you

अहम्I

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

इमौthese two

तुbut

वृद्धौthe two aged ones

शोचामिI grieve (for)

गान्धारीम्Gandhārī

पितरम्father

चand

तेyour

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Duryodhana

Gāndhārī

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Bharatas

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?

The verse distinguishes between grief for a wrongdoer who knowingly chooses an unrighteous path and compassion for innocent elders who suffer the fallout. It highlights moral accountability (one bears the results of one’s choices) and ethical empathy (special concern for those harmed indirectly, especially parents and the aged).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva context of impending war, the speaker (as reported by Vaiśampāyana) addresses Duryodhana directly, declaring that Duryodhana is not the object of lament; instead, the lament is for his elderly parents—Gāndhārī and Dhṛtarāṣṭra—who will endure sorrow because of his obstinacy and the coming catastrophe.