Shloka 26
Akrūra in Hastināpura: Kuntī’s Lament and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Moral Instruction
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच यथा वदति कल्याणीं वाचं दानपते भवान् । तथानया न तृप्यामि मर्त्य: प्राप्य यथामृतम् ॥ २६ ॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca yathā vadati kalyāṇīṁ vācaṁ dāna-pate bhavān tathānayā na tṛpyāmi martyaḥ prāpya yathāmṛtam
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: Wahai tuan derma, mendengar kata-katamu yang membawa berkat, aku tidak pernah puas; aku bagaikan insan fana yang memperoleh amṛta para dewa.
In the opinion of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Dhṛtarāṣṭra was in fact proud and felt he already knew everything Akrūra was speaking, but to maintain diplomatic gravity he spoke as a saintly gentleman.
FAQs
This verse compares auspicious, beneficent words to nectar, implying that such speech nourishes the heart and is naturally relished without satiation.
Dhritarashtra expresses that the listener’s delight increases as the benefactor speaks more kindly—like a mortal who, upon obtaining nectar, desires it again and again.
Cultivate truthful, kind, and uplifting speech; hearing and speaking auspicious words regularly can soften relationships and steadily increase gratitude and devotion.