Shloka 6

Chapter 26: Śoka-pratiṣedha, Hata-saṅkhyā, Gati-vibhāga, Pretakārya-ājñā

Restraint of Grief, Count of the Slain, Destinies, and Funerary Directives

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच तच्छुत्वा वासुदेवस्य पुनरुक्तं वचो5प्रियम्‌ । तूष्णीं बभूव गान्धारी शोकव्याकुललोचना,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! श्रीकृष्णका दुबारा कहा हुआ वह अप्रिय वचन सुनकर गान्धारी चुप हो गयी। उसके नेत्र शोकसे व्याकुल हो उठे थे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | tac chrutvā vāsudevasya punar uktaṃ vaco 'priyam | tūṣṇīṃ babhūva gāndhārī śoka-vyākula-locanā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing again that unwelcome statement of Vāsudeva, Gāndhārī fell silent, her eyes overwhelmed and unsettled by grief. The moment underscores how, after catastrophe, even truthful counsel can feel unbearable, and sorrow can suspend speech and judgment.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

तत्that

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

वासुदेवस्यof Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

पुनरुक्तम्repeated, said again

वचःspeech, word

अप्रियम्unpleasant, disagreeable

तूष्णीम्silently

बभूवbecame, remained

गान्धारीGāndhārī

शोकव्याकुललोचनाshe whose eyes were distressed by grief

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Gāndhārī

Janamejaya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical psychology of aftermath: when loss is total, even well-meant or truthful speech can be experienced as 'apriya' (unwelcome). Grief (śoka) can compel restraint and silence, showing how dharma-discourse must account for the listener’s wounded state.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that Gāndhārī, upon hearing Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) repeat an unpleasant statement, does not respond; she remains silent, her eyes troubled by intense sorrow.