Shloka 7

Gāndhārī’s Grief, Vyāsa’s Pacification, and the Ethics of Retaliation (गान्धारी-शोकः शमोपदेशश्च)

Devanagari script

उच्यमानस्तु यः श्रेयो गृह्नीते नो हिताहिते । आपद: समनुप्राप्प स शोचत्यनये स्थित:,“जो हितकी बात बतानेपर भी हिताहितकी बातको नहीं समझ पाता, वह अन्यायका आश्रय ले बड़ी भारी विपत्तिमें पड़कर शोक करता है

Transliteration

ucyamānastu yaḥ śreyo gṛhṇīte no hitāhite | āpadaḥ samanupprāpya sa śocaty anaye sthitaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Even when what is truly beneficial is being pointed out to him, the person who fails to discern what is wholesome from what is harmful—once calamities close in upon him—clings to unrighteousness and then grieves, trapped in that wrongful course.

Word by Word

उच्यमानःbeing spoken to / being told

तुbut

यःwho

श्रेयःthe better course / welfare

गृह्णीतेaccepts / adopts

नnot

उindeed / emphatic particle

हिताहितेin (matters of) good and bad / beneficial and harmful

आपदःcalamities

समनुप्राप्यhaving reached / having befallen

सःhe

शोचतिgrieves

अनयेby injustice / by wrong conduct

स्थितःstanding / abiding (in)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A person must discern and accept śreyas (true good) and distinguish hita from ahita; ignoring sound counsel and persisting in anaya (unrighteous conduct) leads to crisis and inevitable grief.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration within the Strī Parva’s lamentation context, a general moral reflection is stated: those who do not heed beneficial instruction and cannot judge good versus harmful outcomes are overtaken by calamity and end up grieving due to their own wrongful stance.