Shloka 22
Vyāsa’s Counsel to Dhṛtarāṣṭra on Restraining Duryodhana (व्यास-धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
कथं जीवेयुरत्यन्तं कथं वर्धेयुरित्यपि । इति दीनेषु पार्थेषु मनो मे परितप्यते,“वे कैसे जीवित रहेंगे और कैसे वृद्धिको प्राप्त होंगे?” इस प्रकार कुन्तीके उन दीन पुत्रोंके प्रति सोचते हुए मेरे मनमें बड़ा संताप होता है
kathaṃ jīveyur atyantaṃ kathaṃ vardheyur ity api | iti dīneṣu pārtheṣu mano me paritapyate ||
Vyāsa said: “How will they manage to live at all, and how will they ever prosper?” Thinking thus about the Pārthas in their misery, my heart is consumed with anguish. The verse frames a compassionate, ethical concern for the vulnerable—survival and rightful flourishing—rather than mere success or power.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights karuṇā (compassion) as a dharmic response: true concern is not only whether the righteous survive hardship, but whether they can regain stability and rightful prosperity without abandoning dharma.
Vyāsa reflects inwardly on the plight of the Pārthas (the sons of Kuntī) in their distressed condition, worrying about their immediate survival and future well-being; his grief signals the gravity of their situation in the forest-exile context.