Shloka 17
अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
गान्धार्याश्वैव यद दुःखं हृदि तिष्ठति नित्यदा
gāndhāryāś caiva yad duḥkhaṁ hṛdi tiṣṭhati nityadā
കൂടാതെ ഗാന്ധാരിയുടേതായ ദുഃഖം—അവളുടെ ഹൃദയത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്ന ഏതു ശോകമായാലും—അത് നിത്യവും അവിടെയേ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the enduring nature of grief after catastrophic loss: even when life moves toward renunciation and forest-dwelling, inner sorrow can persist. Ethically, it points to the long moral and emotional consequences of adharma and war, which do not end with victory or defeat.
In the Āśramavāsika context, Vaiśampāyana is describing the inner state of the elders after the Kurukṣetra war. Here he highlights that Gāndhārī’s grief remains continually lodged in her heart, emphasizing her ongoing mourning for her sons and the devastation of the Kuru line.