Shloka 9
Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna Saṃvāda in Indraprastha: Consolation, Legitimation, and Leave for Dvārakā (आश्वमेधिकपर्व, अध्याय १५)
भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण सब प्रकारके सिद्धान्तोंको जाननेवाले थे। उन्होंने अर्जुनको विचित्र पद, अर्थ एवं सिद्धान्तोंसे युक्त बड़ी विलक्षण एवं मधुर कथाएँ सुनायीं ।।
putraśokābhisantāptaṁ jñātīnāṁ ca sahasraśaḥ | kathābhiḥ śamayāmāsa pārthaṁ śaurir janārdanaḥ ||
Arjuna, fils de Kuntī, était brûlé par le chagrin de son fils tombé et accablé par la douleur de voir périr des milliers de ses proches. Alors Śauri Janārdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), en lui rapportant de nombreux récits à la fois édifiants et apaisants, calma et consola Pārtha, le ramenant vers la fermeté au milieu des retombées morales et affectives de la guerre.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights compassionate dharmic counsel: after catastrophic violence, even a righteous victor may be overwhelmed by grief and moral weight. Kṛṣṇa responds not with harsh command but with calming, meaning-giving narratives—showing that ethical recovery requires steadiness of mind, perspective on duty and loss, and humane support for those traumatized by war.
After the great war, Arjuna is deeply distressed—both by the death of his son and by the slaughter of countless relatives. Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kṛṣṇa (Śauri Janārdana) comforts him by telling various stories, thereby pacifying Arjuna’s grief and restoring composure.