Shloka 42
अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः
ततः पार्थो विनिश्वस्य श्रूयतां भगवन्न् इति प्रोक्तो यथावद् आचष्टे व्यासायात्मपराभवम्
tataḥ pārtho viniśvasya śrūyatāṃ bhagavann iti prokto yathāvad ācaṣṭe vyāsāyātmaparābhavam
Then Pārtha (Arjuna), drawing a deep breath, spoke with reverence: “Hear me, O Blessed One.” Thus invited, he told Vyāsa exactly as it had happened of the defeat and inner humiliation he had suffered.
Sūta/Pauraṇika narrator (within the Purāṇic frame) describing Arjuna speaking to Vyāsa
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Arjuna’s confession to Vyāsa and the inner meaning of his collapse.
Teaching: Historical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: Humility before a guru/sage and truthful disclosure are prerequisites for understanding one’s spiritual condition.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Seek counsel, name inner defeat honestly, and receive guidance rather than masking decline with excuses.
Vishishtadvaita: Approaching the wise (ācārya-sannidhi) as a means to reorient the self toward the Lord’s sustaining grace.
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
This verse highlights that true downfall is not merely external loss but an inner collapse of confidence and self-mastery, prompting the hero to seek guidance from a sage.
Vyāsa functions as a spiritual authority and historian: a figure to whom kings and heroes report their crises so that dharma can be clarified and restored through counsel.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, the Purana’s worldview implies that dharma and rightful sovereignty ultimately rest on the Supreme Lord’s order, and human strength must align with that higher reality.