Mahabharata 11.13.2 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 2
Gāndhārī’s Grief, Vyāsa’s Pacification, and the Ethics of Retaliation (गान्धारी-शोकः शमोपदेशश्च)
वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन! तदनन्तर सेवक-गण शौच-सम्बन्धी कार्य सम्पन्न करानेके लिये राजा धृतराष्ट्रकी सेवामें उपस्थित हुए। जब वे शौचकृत्य पूर्ण कर चुके, तब भगवान् मधुसूदनने फिर उनसे कहा-- ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca—rājan! tad-anantaraṁ sevaka-gaṇaḥ śauca-sambandhī kāryaṁ sampādayituṁ rājā dhṛtarāṣṭrasya sevāyāṁ samupasthitaḥ. yadā te śauca-kṛtyaṁ paripūrṇaṁ kṛtavantaḥ, tadā bhagavān madhusūdanaḥ punar enam uvāca—|| rājan adhītā vedās te śāstrāṇi vividhāni ca | śrutāni ca purāṇāni rāja-dharmāś ca kevalāḥ ||
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—اے راجن! تو نے ویدوں اور طرح طرح کے شاستروں کا مطالعہ کیا ہے؛ تو نے پرانوں کو بھی سنا ہے، اور راج دھرم کے اصول بھی پوری طرح جانتا ہے۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Kṛṣṇa frames his forthcoming counsel by reminding Dhṛtarāṣṭra of his extensive learning—Vedas, śāstras, Purāṇas, and rāja-dharma—implying that true wisdom is tested in conduct, especially in moments of crisis and moral reckoning.
After attendants help Dhṛtarāṣṭra complete purification/cleansing rites, Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana) resumes speaking to him, beginning with a respectful address and a reminder of the king’s scriptural education as a prelude to ethical instruction.
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