Shloka 21
Jayadrathasya śoka-bhaya-vilāpaḥ — Droṇena āśvāsanaṃ ca
Jayadratha’s lament and Droṇa’s reassurance
स चापि राजा राजेन्द्र पुत्रव्यसनमुत्तमम् । अप्रसह्यृतमं लोके प्राप्तवानिति मे मति:,राजेन्द्र! राजा अकम्पनको भी अपने पुत्रकी मृत्युका बड़ा भारी शोक प्राप्त हुआ था, जो मेरे विचारमें सबसे अधिक असहा दुःख है
sa cāpi rājā rājendra putravyasanam uttamam | aprasahyatamaṁ loke prāptavān iti me matiḥ ||
Wahai raja di atas para raja! Raja Akampana pun pernah ditimpa malapetaka yang paling pedih—duka karena kehilangan putranya. Menurut penilaianku, di dunia ini tiada kesedihan yang lebih tak tertanggungkan daripada binasa atau terpisahnya seorang anak.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that the loss or ruin of one’s child is among the most unbearable forms of suffering, reminding readers that the moral and human cost of war extends far beyond battlefield outcomes.
Vyāsa addresses the king (rājendra) and remarks that a certain ruler has also fallen into overwhelming sorrow due to his son’s misfortune or death, characterizing it as the most intolerable grief in the world.