स्त्रीपर्व १: धृतराष्ट्रशोकः संजयाश्वासनं च
Strī Parva 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Saṃjaya’s Consolation
सभामध्ये तु कृष्णेन यच्छेयो5भिहितं मम । अलं वैरेण ते राजन पुत्र: संगृह्तामिति
sabhāmadhye tu kṛṣṇena yac chreyo 'bhihitaṃ mama | alaṃ vairena te rājan putraḥ saṃgṛhyatām iti ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra disse: “Na assembleia real, Kṛṣṇa declarou-me o que era verdadeiramente para o meu bem: ‘Basta de inimizade, ó Rei; refreia teu filho.’”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
The verse highlights the ruler’s dharmic duty to end hostility and restrain those—especially one’s own kin—whose unchecked aggression leads to collective ruin. ‘Śreyaḥ’ points to true welfare: choosing restraint and reconciliation over pride-driven enmity.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra recalls Kṛṣṇa’s earlier counsel delivered in the royal assembly: to abandon enmity and to curb his son’s conduct. In the Stree Parva’s aftermath of war, this remembrance carries the weight of a neglected warning.