Shloka 231
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Bereavement and the Averted Assault on Bhīma (Āyasī Pratimā Episode)
जगाम हास्तिनपुरं कृप: शारद्वतस्तदा । स्वमेव राष्ट्र हार्दिक्यो द्रौणिव्यासाश्रमं ययौ
jagāma hāstinapuraṃ kṛpaḥ śāradvatastadā | svameva rāṣṭraṃ hārdikyo drauṇivyāsāśramaṃ yayau
Vaiśampāyana said: Then Kṛpa, the son of Śaradvat, went to Hāstinapura. Hārdikya, however, returned to his own realm, while the son of Droṇa went to the hermitage of Vyāsa. The verse underscores the dispersal after catastrophe: each survivor turns toward a fitting refuge—capital, kingdom, or ascetic sanctuary—suggesting the ethical need to withdraw, regroup, and seek counsel after the ruin of war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the wake of adharma-born devastation, survivors must turn toward appropriate duties and restraints: the elder teacher goes to the capital to support order, the kingly warrior returns to his realm, and the troubled offender seeks an ascetic authority—implying that restoration and moral reckoning require right place, right guidance, and self-control.
After the calamities surrounding the end of the war, the remaining figures separate: Kṛpa departs for Hāstinapura, Kṛtavarman (Hārdikya) goes back to his own kingdom, and Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi) proceeds to Vyāsa’s hermitage.