Shloka 55
Duryodhana Seized by Citraseṇa; Kaurava Petition to Yudhiṣṭhira (दुर्योधनापहारः / चित्रसेनगन्धर्वग्रहणम्)
वैक्लव्याच्च भयाच्चैव घोराणां चापि दर्शनात् । उन्माद्यति स तु क्षिप्रं सान्त्वं तस्प तु साधनम्,जो घबराहट, भय तथा घोर वस्तुओंके दर्शनसे ही तत्काल पागल हो जाता है, उनके अच्छे होनेका उपाय केवल उसे सान्त्वना देना है
vaiklavyāc ca bhayāc caiva ghorāṇāṃ cāpi darśanāt | unmādyati sa tu kṣipraṃ sāntvaṃ tasya tu sādhanam ||
Markandeya said: ‘From sheer helplessness and fear, and even from the sight of terrifying things, he quickly falls into madness. In such a case, the practical remedy for him is reassurance—calming words and consoling support.’
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
When fear, helplessness, and terrifying perceptions overwhelm a person to the point of mental collapse, the immediate dharmic response is compassionate reassurance—steadying the mind through calming, supportive speech rather than harshness or force.
Markandeya is explaining a psychological reaction: a person, shaken by fear and dreadful sights, quickly becomes unbalanced; therefore the appropriate intervention is to console and pacify him.