Shloka 4
Chapter 26: Śoka-pratiṣedha, Hata-saṅkhyā, Gati-vibhāga, Pretakārya-ājñā
Restraint of Grief, Count of the Slain, Destinies, and Funerary Directives
मृतं वा यदि वा नष्ट योइतीतमनुशोचति । दुःखेन लभते दुःखं द्वावनर्थो प्रपद्यते,यदि कोई मनुष्य किसी मरे हुए सम्बन्धी, नष्ट हुई वस्तु अथवा बीती हुई बातके लिये शोक करता है तो वह एक दुःखसे दूसरे दुःखका भागी होता है, इस प्रकार वह दो अनर्थोको प्राप्त होता है
vaiśampāyana uvāca | mṛtaṃ vā yadi vā naṣṭaṃ yo ’tītam anuśocati | duḥkhena labhate duḥkhaṃ dvāv anarthau prapadyate ||
വൈശംപായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മരിച്ചവനെയോ, നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടതെയോ, കഴിഞ്ഞുപോയതെയോ കുറിച്ച് ദുഃഖിക്കുന്നവൻ ദുഃഖത്തിലൂടെ ദുഃഖം തന്നെയേ നേടൂ; അങ്ങനെ അവൻ ഇരട്ട അനർത്ഥത്തിൽ പതിക്കുന്നു.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Grieving over the dead, the lost, or the irretrievable past does not restore what is gone; it only adds a second layer of suffering. The verse advises restraint and clarity: accept what cannot be changed so that one does not compound misfortune with self-inflicted sorrow.
In Strī Parva, amid the lamentation after the Kurukṣetra war, Vaiśampāyana articulates a consolatory, ethical reflection: mourning for irreversible losses leads to further pain. The statement functions as counsel meant to steady minds overwhelmed by bereavement and devastation.