Shloka 22
अभिमन्युविलापः (Abhimanyu-vilāpa) — Uttarā’s lament, observed and framed by Gandhārī
न राज्यलाभो विपुल: शत्रूणां च पराभव: । प्रीतिं धास्यति पार्थानां त्वामृते पुष्करेक्षण,“कमलनयन! प्राणेश्वर! पाण्डवोंको जो यह विशाल राज्य मिल गया है, उन्होंने शत्रुओंको जो पराजित कर दिया है, यह सब कुछ आपके बिना उन्हें प्रसन्न नहीं कर सकेगा
na rājyalābho vipulaḥ śatrūṇāṃ ca parābhavaḥ | prītiṃ dhāsyati pārthānāṃ tvāmṛte puṣkarekṣaṇa ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Neither the vast gain of a kingdom nor the defeat of enemies will bring true joy to the Pāṇḍavas without you, O lotus-eyed one.” The verse underscores that outward victory and political success cannot heal inner grief or restore wholeness when the beloved, the source of meaning and affection, is absent.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Material success—kingdom, power, and even victory over enemies—cannot by itself generate genuine happiness; emotional and moral fulfillment depends on the presence of what one truly values (here, the beloved ‘lotus-eyed’ figure), especially in the wake of catastrophic loss.
In the Stree Parva’s lamentation context after the war, the speaker emphasizes that even though the Pāṇḍavas have obtained a vast kingdom and defeated their foes, these achievements will not console them or bring real joy in the absence of the addressed ‘Puṣkarekṣaṇa’ (commonly understood as Kṛṣṇa).