Shloka 39
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा—व्यासोपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Collapse and Vyāsa’s Counsel
राजन! तुम्हारा कल्याण हो। राजसूय यज्ञके समय देवर्षि नारदने राजा युधिष्ठिरकी सभामें नि:संदेह पहले ही यह बात बता दी थी कि कौरव और पाण्डव सभी आपसमें लड़कर नष्ट हो जायँगे; अतः कुन्तीनन्दन! तुम्हारे लिये जो आवश्यक कर्तव्य हो, उसे करो ।। नारदस्य वच: श्रुत्वा तदाशोचन्त पाण्डवा: । एवं ते सर्वमाख्यातं देवगुह्मां सनातनम्,प्रभो! नारदजीकी वह बात सुनकर उस समय पाण्डव बहुत चिन्तित हो गये थे। इस प्रकार मैंने तुमसे देवताओंका यह सारा सनातन रहस्य बताया है, जिससे किसी तरह तुम्हारे शोकका नाश हो। तुम अपने प्राणोंपर दया कर सको और देवताओंका विधान समझकर पाण्डुके पुत्रोंपर भी तुम्हारा स्नेह बना रहे
rājan! tava kalyāṇaṃ bhavatu. rājasūya-yajñasya kāle devarṣi-nāradaḥ rājñaḥ yudhiṣṭhirasya sabhāyāṃ niḥsaṃdehaṃ pūrvam eva etad avadat—kauravāḥ pāṇḍavāś ca sarve ’nyonyaṃ yuddhvā vinaṅkṣyanti; ataḥ kuntīnandana! tava yat kartavyaṃ āvaśyakaṃ tat kuru. nāradasya vacaḥ śrutvā tadā aśocanta pāṇḍavāḥ. evaṃ te sarvam ākhyātaṃ deva-guhyaṃ sanātanam, prabho, yena tava śokasya nāśaḥ syāt; tvaṃ prāṇeṣu dayāṃ kuryāḥ, devānāṃ vidhānaṃ ca jñātvā pāṇḍu-putreṣu api tava snehaḥ tiṣṭhet.
“O King, may welfare be yours. At the time of the Rājasūya sacrifice, the divine seer Nārada had already declared—without any doubt—in King Yudhiṣṭhira’s assembly that the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas would all fight among themselves and perish. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, do the duty that is necessary for you. Hearing Nārada’s words, the Pāṇḍavas were then filled with grief and anxiety. Thus, O lord, I have told you this entire ancient, divine secret so that your sorrow may be dispelled: have compassion for your own life, and, understanding the ordinance of the gods, let your affection for the sons of Pāṇḍu also remain.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid overwhelming grief, one should recognize the larger divine dispensation and still perform one’s necessary duty (kartavya). Understanding fate is presented not to excuse wrongdoing, but to steady the mind, preserve compassion, and prevent hatred from consuming one’s remaining life.
Vyāsa consoles the king by recalling an earlier prophecy: at Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rājasūya, Nārada foretold that Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas would destroy each other in war. Vyāsa says he has revealed this ‘divine secret’ to lessen the king’s sorrow and to encourage him to act rightly while maintaining affection toward the Pāṇḍavas.