Shloka 19
अध्याय ७१ — द्रोणव्यूहरक्षा तथा समकालीन द्वन्द्वयुद्धानि
Protection of Droṇa’s formation and parallel duels
शोचतो हि महाराज अघमेवाभिवर्धते । तस्माच्छोकं परित्यज्य श्रेयसे प्रयतेद् बुध:
śocato hi mahārāja agham evābhivardhate | tasmāc chokaṃ parityajya śreyase prayated budhaḥ ||
«Car pour celui qui s’abandonne au chagrin, ô grand roi, le malheur seul s’accroît. C’est pourquoi, rejetant la peine, le sage doit s’appliquer à ce qui mène au vrai bien-être et au bien suprême.»
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Grief is portrayed as unproductive and even harmful: indulging in lamentation amplifies adversity (agha). The wise response is to relinquish sorrow and direct one’s energy toward śreyas—what is truly beneficial, righteous, and conducive to long-term good.
Vyāsa addresses a king in a consolatory, instructive tone amid the calamities of the war narrative. He urges the ruler to move from emotional collapse (śoka) to discerning action guided by wisdom and the pursuit of welfare (śreyas).