Mahabharata — Karna Parva, Shloka 2
Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha
Combat Description and Elephant Duel
प्राप्तवान् परम दु:खं पुत्रव्यसनजं महत् । तस्मिन् यदुक्तवान् काले तन्ममाचश्वच पृच्छत:
prāptavān parama-duḥkhaṃ putra-vyasana-jaṃ mahat | tasmin yad uktavān kāle tan mamācakṣva pṛcchataḥ ||
Janamejaya berkata: “Dhṛtarāṣṭra dilanda dukacita yang paling dalam—kesengsaraan besar yang lahir daripada malapetaka yang menimpa putera-puteranya. Pada saat itu, apa sahaja yang baginda ucapkan, mohon ceritakan kepadaku, kerana aku memohon untuk mendengarnya.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the moral weight of consequences: the catastrophic end of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons culminates in overwhelming grief, implying that attachment, partiality, and adharma in governance and counsel can ripen into irreversible suffering. It also highlights the dharmic method of learning—humble inquiry and faithful narration.
Janamejaya, continuing his questioning, asks the narrator to recount what Dhṛtarāṣṭra said at the moment he was struck by immense sorrow due to the destruction of his sons in the war.