Shloka 39
अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
पुत्रशोकसमाविष्टो नि:श्वसन् होष भूमिप: । न शेते वसती: सर्वा धृतराष्ट्रो महामुने
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
putraśokasamāviṣṭo niḥśvasan hoṣa bhūmipaḥ |
na śete vasatīḥ sarvā dhṛtarāṣṭro mahāmune ||
ਵੈਸ਼ੰਪਾਯਨ ਬੋਲੇ— ਹੇ ਮਹਾਮੁਨੀ! ਪੁੱਤਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਸੋਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਡੁੱਬਿਆ ਧ੍ਰਿਤਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ ਰਾਜਾ ਲੰਬੇ ਸਾਹ ਭਰਦਾ ਤੇ ਆਹਾਂ ਕਰਦਾ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ; ਸਾਰੀ ਰਾਤ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਨੀਂਦ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਉਂਦੀ।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the consuming power of attachment and bereavement: even a king cannot command peace of mind when grief dominates. It implicitly points toward the need for inner discipline and detachment (vairāgya) as a safeguard against being overwhelmed by loss.
Vaiśampāyana describes Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s condition in the forest-life period: he is tormented by sorrow for his dead sons, continually sighing and lamenting, and he cannot sleep through the night.