Shloka 19
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Bereavement and the Averted Assault on Bhīma (Āyasī Pratimā Episode)
अवेक्षमाणा राजानं धृतराष्ट्र मनीषिणम् । गड्जगमनु महाराज तूर्णमश्वानचोदयन्,भारत! राजासे ऐसा कहकर उनकी प्रदक्षिणा करके कृपाचार्य, कृतवर्मा और अश्वृत्थामाने मनीषी राजा धृतराष्ट्रकी ओर देखते हुए तुरंत ही गंगातटकी ओर अपने घोड़े हॉँक दिये
avekṣamāṇā rājānaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ manīṣiṇam | gajagamanau mahārāja tūṛṇam aśvān acodayan, bhārata |
Vaiśampāyana said: Casting their eyes upon the wise king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, those two—moving with the gait of elephants—swiftly urged on their horses, O descendant of Bharata. Having spoken thus to the king and circumambulated him in respect, Kṛpācārya, Kṛtavarmā, and Aśvatthāmā at once drove their steeds toward the bank of the Gaṅgā—an act that underscores the tense aftermath of war, where outward reverence coexists with urgent, fateful resolve.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid moral collapse after war, traditional marks of respect (like circumambulation and formal address) persist; yet the verse hints that etiquette alone cannot neutralize the ethical weight of impending actions—urgency and intent matter as much as outward propriety.
After speaking to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and honoring him, Kṛpa, Kṛtavarmā, and Aśvatthāmā look toward the king and quickly depart on horseback toward the Gaṅgā’s bank, signaling a swift, purposeful movement in the tense post-war sequence.