Shloka 373
यथा च नृपतिर्दग्धो देव्यौ ते चेति पाण्डव । पुरुषप्रवर पाण्डव! जिस प्रकार राजा धृतराष्ट्र तथा उन दोनों देवियोंका दाह हुआ है, यह सारा समाचार मैंने वहीं सुना था
yathā ca nṛpatir dagdho devyau te ceti pāṇḍava | puruṣapravara pāṇḍava! yathā rājā dhṛtarāṣṭra tathā ca te dve devyau dagdhāḥ, etat sarvaṃ samācāraṃ mayā tatraiva śrutam āsa |
Nārada berkata: “Wahai Pāṇḍava, yang terunggul antara manusia—sebagaimana raja terbakar, demikian juga kedua-dua permaisuri itu—seluruh khabar tentang bagaimana Raja Dhṛtarāṣṭra dan dua ratu menemui akhir mereka dalam api, aku dengar di tempat itu sendiri. Aku sampaikan kepadamu sebagai kesaksian yang boleh dipercayai, agar engkau menerimanya dengan keteguhan dan pertimbangan, tanpa digoncang oleh dukacita.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores impermanence and the need for steadiness: even great kings and revered elders meet inevitable ends. Nārada’s emphasis on having heard the report directly also models responsible transmission of truth—grief should be met with discernment grounded in reliable knowledge.
Nārada addresses a Pāṇḍava (primarily Yudhiṣṭhira) and reports the news that King Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the two queens were consumed by fire. He states that he heard the full account on the spot, presenting himself as a trustworthy messenger of the event.