Shloka 45
गान्धारी-प्रशमनम् — Pacification of Gāndhārī and Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel at Hāstinapura
प्रत्याश्चासय गान्धारीं हतपुत्रां यशस्विनीम् । शैब्य और सुग्रीव नामक अश्व जिनके वाहन हैं, उन भगवान् श्रीकृष्णके जाते समय पाण्डवोंने फिर उनसे कहा--'प्रभो! यशस्विनी गान्धारी देवीके पुत्र मारे गये हैं; अतः आप उस दु:खिया माताको धीरज बँधावें' ।। स प्रायात् पाण्डवैरुक्तस्तत् पुरं सात्वतां वर: । आससाद ततः: क्षिप्रं गान्धारीं निहतात्मजाम्
sa prāyāt pāṇḍavair uktas tat puraṁ sāttvatāṁ varaḥ | āsasāda tataḥ kṣipraṁ gāndhārīṁ nihatātmajām ||
Ketika Kṛṣṇa—yang kenderaannya ditarik oleh kuda bernama Śaibya dan Sugrīva—hendak berangkat, para Pāṇḍava berkata lagi kepadanya: “Wahai Prabhu! Putera-putera Permaisuri Gāndhārī yang termasyhur telah gugur; maka hiburkanlah ibu yang dirundung dukacita itu, teguhkan hatinya.” Setelah mendengar kata-kata Pāṇḍava, Kṛṣṇa—yang utama dalam kalangan Sāttvata—pun berangkat ke kota dan segera mendatangi Gāndhārī yang kehilangan anak-anaknya, agar sang ibu yang berduka itu terhibur dan tabah.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the aftermath of violence, dharma expresses itself not only through victory or justice but through compassionate responsibility: the powerful (here, Kṛṣṇa) should actively console and steady those shattered by loss, acknowledging grief and preventing it from turning into further harm.
After being urged by the Pāṇḍavas, Kṛṣṇa departs and promptly goes to meet Gāndhārī, who has lost her sons, indicating an immediate move to address the moral and emotional crisis created by the war.