Shloka 38
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा—व्यासोपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Collapse and Vyāsa’s Counsel
पाण्डवा: कौरवा: सर्वे समासाद्य परस्परम् । न भविष्यन्ति कौन्तेय यत् ते कृत्यं तदाचर
pāṇḍavāḥ kauravāḥ sarve samāsādya parasparam | na bhaviṣyanti kaunteya yat te kṛtyaṃ tadācara ||
Vyāsa said: “O son of Kuntī, when all the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas have met one another face to face, they will not remain (alive/continue as before). Therefore, do that which is your duty—carry out the course of action that lies before you.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid grief and moral turmoil, one must not abandon kṛtya (duty). Vyāsa urges Kaunteya to act according to dharma, recognizing the grave, irreversible consequences of the Pandava–Kaurava confrontation.
In Strī Parva’s lamentation-filled aftermath of the war, Vyāsa addresses Kaunteya, warning that once the two sides confront each other, they will not ‘remain’—implying destruction and finality—therefore he should proceed with the necessary duty-bound action rather than hesitate.