Mahabharata 11.1.38 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 1, Shloka 38
स्त्रीपर्व १: धृतराष्ट्रशोकः संजयाश्वासनं च
Strī Parva 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Saṃjaya’s Consolation
अर्थान्न शोचन् प्राप्नोति न शोचन् विन्दते फलम् | न शोचन् श्रियमाप्रोति न शोचन् विन्दते परम्
arthān na śocan prāpnoti na śocan vindate phalam | na śocan śriyam āpnoti na śocan vindate param ||
Celui qui ne cède pas au chagrin atteint les fins désirées ; délivré des lamentations, il obtient le fruit de l’action. Non consumé par la peine, il gagne la prospérité ; et sans chagrin, il parvient aussi au bien suprême.
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Excessive grief is portrayed as counterproductive: it blocks the pursuit of rightful aims (artha), the gaining of results (phala), the attainment of prosperity (śrī), and even the highest spiritual good (param). The verse recommends inner steadiness so that one can act, endure, and orient oneself toward dharma and liberation.
In Strī Parva’s opening, the epic turns to the women’s lamentation after the Kurukṣetra slaughter. Amid pervasive mourning, the narration introduces counsel that grief, if indulged without restraint, cannot restore the dead and instead undermines both worldly recovery and spiritual progress.
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