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Shloka 1

Abhimanyu’s Śrāddha; Vyāsa’s Assurance of the Unborn Heir (अभिमन्योः श्राद्धं तथा गर्भरक्षणोपदेशः)

औपनआक्ाा बा अकाल एकषेष्टितमो< ध्याय: श्रीकृष्णका सुभद्राके कहनेसे वसुदेवजीको अभिमन्युवधका वृत्तान्त सुनाना वैशम्पायन उवाच कथयतन्नेव तु तदा वासुदेव: प्रतापवान्‌ । महाभारतसयुद्ध॑ तत्कथान्ते पितुरग्रत:

vaiśampāyana uvāca | kathayat tan naiva tu tadā vāsudevaḥ pratāpavān | mahābhārata-yuddhaṃ tat-kathānte pitur agrataḥ ||

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。勇威あるヴァースデーヴァ(クリシュナ)が父の御前でマハーバーラタの戦の次第を語っていたとき、物語の途中で、アビマンニュの戦死の段だけは意図して語らなかった。大いなる智慧を具えた英雄は、孫の死という凶報を聞けば父が悲嘆に沈み、心を痛めることを恐れ、真実を語りつつも慈悲と礼をもって、その一節を控えたのである。

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana
वैशम्पायनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवैशम्पायन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormPerfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada
कथयत्narrating, telling
कथयत्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootकथय्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, Present active participle (Parasmaipada)
तत्that (account)
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed, just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
तुbut
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
तदाthen, at that time
तदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
वासुदेवःVāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
वासुदेवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवासुदेव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
प्रतापवान्mighty, valorous
प्रतापवान्:
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रतापवत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
महाभारत-युद्धम्the Mahābhārata war
महाभारत-युद्धम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
तत्that (war/account)
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
कथा-अन्तेin the course/end of the narration
कथा-अन्ते:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअन्त
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
पितुःof (his) father
पितुः:
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
अग्रतःin front of, before
अग्रतः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअग्रतः

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
J
Janamejaya
V
Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
V
Vasudeva (Kṛṣṇa’s father)
A
Abhimanyu
M
Mahābhārata war

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights dharma in speech: even when telling the truth, one should consider timing, audience, and the potential harm of painful information. Kṛṣṇa’s restraint models compassionate discretion—truth guided by empathy and responsibility.

Vaiśampāyana tells Janamejaya that Kṛṣṇa, while narrating the Mahābhārata war to his father Vasudeva, intentionally omits the account of Abhimanyu’s killing, fearing it would cause his father intense grief upon hearing of his grandson’s death.