Shloka 23
Jayadrathasya śoka-bhaya-vilāpaḥ — Droṇena āśvāsanaṃ ca
Jayadratha’s lament and Droṇa’s reassurance
समस्तपापराशिष्नं शृणु कीर्तयतो मम । धन्यमाख्यानमायुष्यं शोकषघ्नं पुष्टिवर्धनम्
samastapāparāśiṣṇaṁ śṛṇu kīrtayato mama | dhanyam ākhyānam āyuṣyaṁ śokaśaghnaṁ puṣṭivardhanam ||
«Écoute tandis que je le récite : ce récit béni consume l’amas des péchés accumulés. Il est de bon augure, prolonge la vie, détruit le chagrin et accroît la force ainsi que le bien-être.»
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts the ethical and spiritual efficacy of listening to a righteous narrative: attentive hearing of such an ākhyāna is portrayed as purifying accumulated wrongdoing, fostering auspiciousness and longevity, and relieving grief—highlighting the Mahābhārata’s emphasis on śravaṇa (listening) as a means of inner refinement.
Vyāsa, as narrator, invites the listener to hear his forthcoming account, praising its benefits. This functions as a framing statement that elevates the story to a morally transformative discourse, especially significant amid the sorrow and violence of the Drona Parva.