Shloka 74

Duryodhana’s Post-Duel Lament and Instructions (भग्नसक्थस्य विलापः)

Devanagari script

एतच्छुत्वा तु वचन गान्धार्या सहितो<ब्रवीत्‌ । धृतराष्ट्रो महाबाहुः केशवं केशिसूदनम्‌,यह सुनकर गान्धारीसहित महाबाहु धृतराष्ट्रने केशिहन्ता केशवसे कहा--“महाबाहु जनार्दन! आप शीघ्र जाइये और पाण्डवोंकी रक्षा कीजिये। मैं पुनः शीघ्र ही आपसे मिलूँगा'

Transliteration

etac chrutvā tu vacanaṃ gāndhāryā sahito 'bravīt | dhṛtarāṣṭro mahābāhuḥ keśavaṃ keśisūdanam ||

Translation

Nghe những lời ấy, Dhṛtarāṣṭra—vị vua dũng mãnh—cùng với Gāndhārī đã nói với Keśava, kẻ diệt Keśin. Ông thúc giục Kṛṣṇa lập tức lên đường để bảo hộ các Pāṇḍava, và bày tỏ rằng sẽ sớm gặp lại Người.

Word by Word

एतत्this (thing)

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

तुbut/indeed

वचनम्speech/words

गान्धार्याwith Gandhari

सहितःaccompanied (by)

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

धृतराष्ट्रःDhritarashtra

महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed

केशवम्Keshava (Krishna)

केशिसूदनम्slayer of Keshi

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Gāndhārī

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Keśin

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid irreversible consequences, a ruler’s duty is to align with dharma—seeking the protection of the righteous and acknowledging moral responsibility, however late that recognition may come.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that Dhṛtarāṣṭra, accompanied by Gāndhārī, responds to what he has heard by addressing Kṛṣṇa (Keśava/Keśisūdanā) and urging him to go quickly to safeguard the Pāṇḍavas, indicating a desire to meet him again soon.