Shloka 293
Chapter 59: Baladeva’s Censure, Keśava’s Restraint, and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Moral Accounting
वयं नरकसंज्ञ वै दु:खं प्राप्स्याम दारुणम् “राजन! तुम अकेले सुखी हो। निश्चय ही स्वर्गमें तुम्हें स्थान प्राप्त होगा और हमें यहाँ नरकतुल्य दारुण दु:ख भोगना पड़ेगा
vayaṃ narakasaṃjñā vai duḥkhaṃ prāpsyāma dāruṇam |
Sañjaya said: “We, branded as hell-bound, shall surely meet with dreadful suffering. O King, you alone are fortunate; surely you will gain a place in heaven, while we must endure here a harsh misery like hell.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and psychological aftermath of adharma-driven war: actions and complicity lead to suffering, while righteousness (or at least the hope of it) is associated with heavenly reward. It underscores accountability—those involved foresee consequences akin to 'hell' even in this life.
Sañjaya, reporting events to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, voices a bleak assessment: the king may attain heaven, but those around him (or those implicated in the unfolding catastrophe) anticipate dreadful suffering, described as hell-like, as the war’s devastation becomes undeniable.