Shloka 9
विनष्टा: पाण्डवा: कृष्णे शाश्वतं नरकं॑ गता: । पतिमन्यं वृणीष्वेति वर्देस्त्वं गजगामिनीम्
vinaṣṭāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ kṛṣṇe śāśvataṁ narakaṁ gatāḥ | patim anyaṁ vṛṇīṣveti varde stvaṁ gajagāminīm ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), para Pāṇḍava telah binasa dan telah pergi ke neraka yang kekal. Maka pilihlah suami yang lain—demikian kata Vṛddha (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) kepadamu, wahai wanita yang berlenggok seperti gajah.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of using despair and false certainty as a weapon: declaring opponents “destroyed” and urging a virtuous person to abandon rightful bonds tests steadfastness (dharma) under psychological pressure.
Sañjaya reports a message addressed to Draupadī: it claims the Pāṇḍavas have perished and gone to hell, and urges her to choose another husband—an attempt to break morale and undermine her loyalty amid the chaos of war.