Shloka 22
Chapter 59: Baladeva’s Censure, Keśava’s Restraint, and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Moral Accounting
तात मन्युर्न ते कार्यो नात्मा शोच्यस्त्वया तथा । नून॑ पूर्वकृतं कर्म सुघोरमनुभूयते
tāta manyur na te kāryo nātmā śocyas tvayā tathā | nūnaṁ pūrvakṛtaṁ karma sughoram anubhūyate ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai anak, engkau tidak patut menyerah kepada marah atau dukacita; dan tidak wajar juga engkau meratapi dirimu sendiri. Sesungguhnya, apa yang sedang ditanggung kini ialah buah daripada perbuatan yang telah dilakukan dahulu—amat dahsyat pada akibatnya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should restrain anger and self-pity, recognizing that present suffering is the maturation of prior actions (karma). The verse frames endurance and composure as ethically appropriate responses amid calamity.
In the Shalya Parva war context, Sanjaya addresses someone younger as “tāta,” counseling them not to succumb to rage or grief and interpreting the harsh events being faced as the inevitable consequence of earlier deeds.