Shloka 39
द्रौपदी-शैब्यसंवादः — Draupadī’s Identification and Counsel on Hospitality
जब शोक करनेवालेका शोक उसपर आये हुए संकटको टाल नहीं सकता है, तब उसमें क्या सामर्थ्य है? यह तुम दोनों भाई शोक करके प्रत्यक्ष देख रहे हो। अत: धैर्य धारण करो। शोक करके तो शत्रुओंका हर्ष ही बढ़ाओगे ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | yadi śokaḥ śocamānasya āpatitaṃ saṅkaṭaṃ na nivārayituṃ śaknoti, tatra tasya kā sāmarthyam? etad yuvāṃ bhrātarau śocantau pratyakṣaṃ paśyatha | ataḥ dhairyaṃ dhāraya | śokena tu śatrūṇāṃ harṣa eva vardhate || kartavyaṃ hi kṛtaṃ rājan pāṇḍavaistava mokṣaṇam | nityam eva priyaṃ kāryaṃ rājño viṣayavāsibhiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: If grief, in one who grieves, cannot avert the calamity that has befallen him, what power does it truly have? You two brothers are seeing this directly even as you lament. Therefore, take up steadiness; by grieving you only increase the joy of your enemies. O king, the Pāṇḍavas have done what duty required—your rescue from the hands of the Gandharvas. Those who dwell within a king’s realm should always act in ways that are pleasing and supportive to their ruler.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Grief by itself does not remove a crisis; therefore one should cultivate dhairya (steadfastness). Excessive lamentation can embolden adversaries, while dharma requires timely, effective action—here exemplified by the Pāṇḍavas fulfilling their duty of rescue and by subjects maintaining loyal, supportive conduct toward their ruler.
Vaiśampāyana describes a moment of counsel addressed to a king and two grieving brothers: they are urged to stop lamenting because it cannot change the misfortune and only pleases enemies. The speaker notes that the Pāṇḍavas have already performed their duty by freeing the king from the Gandharvas, and adds a general maxim about subjects acting for the king’s welfare.