भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः
मा शुचो भरतमश्रेष्ठ न त्वं शोचितुमरहसि
mā śuco bharataśreṣṭha na tvaṃ śocitum arhasi
Sañjaya dit : «Ne t’afflige pas, ô le meilleur des Bharata ; tu n’as pas lieu de te lamenter.» Au cœur du récit guerrier, ce vers sert d’assurance morale : il détourne l’auditeur d’une tristesse paralysante et l’appelle à la fermeté et à l’action juste selon le dharma.
संजय उवाच
The verse discourages grief that weakens discernment and resolve. It urges emotional steadiness and moral composure, implying that one should face events—especially in a dharmic crisis like war—without collapsing into lamentation.
Sañjaya, narrating the battlefield events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, addresses him as “best of the Bharatas” and counsels him not to grieve—an attempt to steady the king as he hears of the unfolding conflict and its consequences.