Shloka 2

Śoka-śamana: Kṛṣṇa’s Consolation and Nārada’s Exempla to Sṛñjaya

Chapter 29

Devanagari script

अर्जुन उवाच ज्ञातिशोकाभिसंतप्तो धर्मपुत्र: परंतप: । एष शोकार्णवे मग्नस्तमाश्वासय माधव

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca jñātiśokābhisaṃtapto dharmaputraḥ paraṃtapaḥ | eṣa śokārṇave magnas tam āśvāsaya mādhava ||

Translation

Arjuna thưa: “Con của Dharma, bậc thiêu đốt kẻ thù, đang bị nỗi đau vì thân tộc giày vò. Ngài đã chìm trong biển sầu. Ôi Mādhava, xin hãy an ủi và vỗ về ngài.”

Word by Word

अर्जुनःArjuna

उवाचsaid

ज्ञाति-शोक-अभिसंतप्तःtormented by grief for (his) kinsmen

धर्मपुत्रःDharma’s son (Yudhiṣṭhira)

परंतपःscorcher of foes

एषःthis (man)

शोक-अर्णवेin the ocean of grief

मग्नःsunk, immersed

तम्him

आश्वासयconsole (you) / comfort

माधवO Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa)

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Dharmaputra (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa)

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?

The verse foregrounds the ethical duty of compassionate counsel: even a righteous king may be overwhelmed by remorse and grief after violence, and it becomes the responsibility of trusted companions—especially wise guides—to steady him, restore clarity, and help him return to dharma-guided action.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the devastating war, Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmaputra) is consumed by sorrow over the death of his relatives. Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava), urging him to console Yudhiṣṭhira, who is described as having sunk into an ocean of grief.