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Shloka 1

Gāndhārī’s Grief, Vyāsa’s Pacification, and the Ethics of Retaliation (गान्धारी-शोकः शमोपदेशश्च)

Devanagari script

ऑपनआक्राता बछ। अर: त्रयोदशो< ध्याय: श्रीकृष्णका धृतराष्ट्रको फटकारकर उनका क्रोध शान्त करना और धृतराष्ट्रका पाण्डवोंको हृदयसे लगाना वैशम्पायन उवाच तत एनमुपातिष्ठन्‌ शौचार्थ परिचारका: । कृतशौचं पुनश्चैनं प्रोवाच मधुसूदन:

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: tata enam upātiṣṭhan śaucārtha-paricārakāḥ | kṛta-śaucaṃ punaś cainaṃ provāca Madhusūdanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Kemudian para pelayan yang ditugaskan untuk upacara penyucian mendekat dan melayaninya. Setelah selesai segala tata cara pembersihan, Madhusūdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) sekali lagi berbicara kepadanya—untuk menahan amarah dan memulihkan budi yang berperikemanusiaan serta selaras dengan dharma dalam diri raja yang dilanda dukacita.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

तत्then/thereupon

एनम्him

उपातिष्ठन्attended upon / stood by

शौचार्थम्for purification (purpose of cleansing)

परिचारकाःattendants

कृतशौचम्having performed purification / cleansed

पुनःagain

चand

एनम्him

प्रोवाचaddressed / spoke to

मधुसूदनःMadhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Madhusūdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

paricārakāḥ (attendants)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid collective tragedy, dharma requires inner cleansing and restraint: purification (śauca) prepares the mind for right counsel, and wise speech aims to pacify anger and reawaken compassion rather than intensify vengeance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the attendants help complete the king’s purification rites, Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana) speaks to him again—setting the stage for admonition and guidance meant to calm his agitation and move him toward reconciliation.