Shloka 2
Vāsudeva’s Upadeśa: The Inner Enemy and the Indra–Vṛtra Precedent (आत्मशत्रु-बोधः; इन्द्र-वृत्रोपाख्यानम्)
त॑ नृपं दीनमनसं निहतज्ञातिबान्धवम् | उपप्लुतमिवादित्यं सधूममिव पावकम्
taṁ nṛpaṁ dīna-manasaṁ nihata-jñāti-bāndhavam | upaplutam ivādityaṁ sa-dhūmam iva pāvakam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dijo: El rey Yudhiṣṭhira, con la mente hundida en el duelo, había perdido a sus parientes y deudos. Se veía apagado, como el sol eclipsado por Rāhu, y como el fuego velado por el humo. Su corazón, en especial, se había cansado y apartado de la realeza. Sabiendo esto, Śrī Kṛṣṇa—gloria de la estirpe de los Vṛṣṇi—comenzó a hablar, ofreciendo consuelo al hijo de Kuntī, Dharmaputra Yudhiṣṭhira.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and psychological cost of violence: even a righteous victor can be inwardly eclipsed by grief. It sets the stage for Kṛṣṇa’s reassurance—guidance meant to restore clarity, responsibility, and dharmic steadiness in rulership despite personal sorrow.
After the destruction of his kin, Yudhiṣṭhira becomes despondent and loses his luster, compared to an eclipsed sun and smoke-covered fire. Observing his aversion to kingship, Kṛṣṇa begins to address him with consoling counsel.