Shloka 4
अश्मसारमयं नूनं॑ हृदयं मम संजय । श्रुत्वा विनिहतं भीष्मं शतधा यजन्न दीर्यते
aśmasāramayaṃ nūnaṃ hṛdayaṃ mama sañjaya | śrutvā vinihataṃ bhīṣmaṃ śatadhā yaj janna dīryate ||
ທຣິຕຣາດຕະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ສັນຊະຍະ, ແນ່ນອນວ່າ ຫົວໃຈຂອງຂ້າເຮັດດ້ວຍຫີນແລະເຫຼັກ; ເພາະເຖິງຈະໄດ້ຍິນວ່າ ພີສະມະຖືກຕີລົ້ມ ມັນກໍບໍ່ແຕກເປັນຮ້ອຍຊິ້ນ. ທຸກຂ໌ຄວນຈະທຳໃຫ້ຂ້າແຕກສະລາຍ ແຕ່ຄວາມຍຶດຕິດແລະຄວາມຫຼົງກັບຮັກສາໃຫ້ຂ້າບໍ່ແຕກພັງ»។
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how attachment and delusion can harden the heart: even when confronted with a catastrophic loss (Bhīṣma’s fall), Dhṛtarāṣṭra recognizes a moral-emotional numbness in himself. It implicitly critiques inner blindness—when one’s conscience and compassion should break, they remain rigid due to long-cultivated partiality and adharma.
Sañjaya has reported to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma has been felled in battle. Dhṛtarāṣṭra reacts with astonished self-reproach, saying his heart must be stone-like because it does not shatter upon hearing of Bhīṣma’s downfall.