Shloka 253
अपश्यन्त्या: प्रियं पुत्र॑ यन्न दीर्यति मेड्द्य वै । “राजाओ! अवश्य ही मेरा हृदय पत्थर और लोहेका बना हुआ है, तभी तो अपने प्रिय पुत्रको जीवित न देखकर भी आज यह फट नहीं जाता है
apaśyantyāḥ priyaṃ putraṃ yan na dīryati medhyavai | rājāo! avaśya hi me hṛdayaṃ pāṣāṇa-lohakasam idaṃ bhūtaṃ, tenaiva priyaputraṃ jīvantaṃ na paśyanty api adya na vidīryate |
ویشَمپاین نے کہا— اے راجن! یقیناً میرا دل پتھر اور لوہے کا بنا ہوا ہے؛ کیونکہ آج بھی اپنے پیارے بیٹے کو زندہ نہ دیکھ کر بھی یہ پھٹتا نہیں۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the extremity of parental grief and the paradox of survival after loss: when the heart does not break, it can feel like a hardening into stone and iron. Ethically, it underscores compassion for mourners and the recognition that endurance may come with numbness rather than strength.
Vaiśampāyana, narrating to the king, conveys a lament in which the speaker marvels that despite not seeing the beloved son alive, the heart has not shattered—expressing shock, sorrow, and emotional desolation.