Shloka 21
Droṇānīka-praveśa: Arjuna’s respectful appeal to Droṇa and renewed advance toward Jayadratha (द्रोणानीकप्रवेशः)
स चेन्ममार सृञ्जय चतुर्भद्रतरस्त्वया । पुत्रात् पुण्यतरस्तुभ्यं मा पुत्रमनुतप्यथा: । अयज्वानमदाक्षिण्यमश्रि श्रैत्येत्युदाहरत्,वैत्य सृंजय! वे धर्म-ज्ञानादि चारों कल्याणकारी गुणोंमें तुमसे बहुत बढ़े-चढ़े थे और तुम्हारे पुत्रसे भी अधिक पुण्यात्मा थे। जब वे भी मर गये, तब दूसरोंके लिये क्या कहना है? अतः तुम यज्ञानुष्ठान और दान-दक्षिणासे रहित अपने पुत्रके लिये अनुताप न करो। ऐसा नारदजीने कहा
sa cen mamāra sṛñjaya caturbhadrataras tvayā | putrāt puṇyataras tubhyaṃ mā putram anutapyathāḥ || ayajvān amadākṣiṇyam aśrī śraity ety udāharat, vaity sṛñjaya! ye dharma-jñānādi cāroṃ kalyāṇakārī guṇoṃ meṃ tumse bahut baṛhe-caṛhe the aur tumhāre putra se bhī adhik puṇyātmā the | jab ve bhī mar gaye, tab dūsroṃ ke liye kyā kahanā hai? ataḥ tum yajñānuṣṭhān aur dāna-dakṣiṇā se rahit apne putra ke liye anutāp na karo | aisā nāradajī ne kahā
Nārada said: “O Sṛñjaya, if even one who was fourfold more fortunate and excellent than you—indeed, more meritorious than your own son—has died, what need is there to speak of others? Therefore do not grieve for your son, who was devoid of sacrifice and lacking in gifts and priestly fees.” Thus Nārada sought to restrain Sṛñjaya’s sorrow by pointing to the universality of death and by recalling the ethical weight of a life lived without yajña and dāna.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Nārada teaches that grief should be moderated by recognizing the inevitability of death and by reflecting on dharmic conduct: even highly meritorious people die, so lamentation cannot change fate; moreover, a life lacking yajña and dāna is ethically deficient, so excessive attachment and sorrow are to be restrained.
Nārada addresses Sṛñjaya, who is overwhelmed by sorrow for his dead son. To console and correct him, Nārada cites the death of someone even more excellent and meritorious, then concludes that Sṛñjaya should not indulge in grief—especially for a son characterized as neglectful of sacrifice and charitable giving.