Mahabharata 9.63.38 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 63, Shloka 38

Duryodhana’s Post-Duel Lament and Instructions (भग्नसक्थस्य विलापः)

Devanagari script

पाणिमालम्ब्य राजेन्द्र सुस्वरं प्रसरोद ह । राजेन्द्र! तदनन्तर यादवश्रेष्ठ श्रीकृष्ण धृतराष्ट्रका हाथ अपने हाथमें लेकर उन्मुक्त स्वरसे फूट-फूटकर रोने लगे ।।

Transliteration

pāṇim ālambya rājendra susvaraṃ prasarod ha | rājendra! tadanantaraṃ yādavaśreṣṭhaḥ śrīkṛṣṇo dhṛtarāṣṭrasya hastaṃ svahastena gṛhītvā unmuktasvarena phūṭ-phūṭkar arodīt || sa muhūrtād iva utsṛjya bāṣpaṃ śokasamudbhavam netre śuddhajalena prakṣālya vidhivat ācamya tataḥ śatrudamanaḥ śrīkṛṣṇo rājānaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ prati idaṃ vacanam uvāca— “bhārata! tvaṃ vṛddhapuruṣaḥ; ataḥ kālena yat kiṃcid ghaṭitaṃ vartate ca tat sarvaṃ tava na ajñātam | prabho! sarvaṃ te suviditam” ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Prenant la main du roi, Kṛṣṇa éclata en sanglots, à haute voix et sans retenue. Après un moment, ayant laissé couler les larmes nées du chagrin, il se lava les yeux d’une eau pure et accomplit l’ācamana selon la règle. Puis Kṛṣṇa, dompteur des ennemis, s’adressa au roi Dhṛtarāṣṭra : « Ô Bhārata, tu es un homme âgé ; ainsi rien de ce que le Temps a fait advenir, ou fait encore advenir, ne t’est inconnu. Seigneur, tu sais tout cela parfaitement. »

Word by Word

• पाणिम्: hand
• पाणिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आलम्ब्य: having taken hold of / grasping
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लम्ब्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund), Non-finite

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सुस्वरम्: with a clear/loud voice
• सुस्वरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुस्वर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रसरोद: cried out / wept aloud
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-सर्
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), Past, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Yādavas
• Bhārata (Kuru lineage)
• Kāla (Time)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames catastrophic events through the lens of Kāla (Time) and mature discernment: an elder king is expected to recognize the inevitability of what Time brings, while still acknowledging human grief. It also models restraint and dharmic conduct—after emotional outpouring, one returns to ritual purity and measured speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa takes Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s hand and weeps openly. After some time he composes himself, washes his eyes, performs ācamana, and then begins a serious address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, reminding him that as an elder he already understands what Time has caused and is causing.