Shloka 2
The Murder of Satrājit and the Recovery of the Syamantaka Jewel
भीष्मं कृपं सविदुरं गान्धारीं द्रोणमेव च । तुल्यदु:खौ च सङ्गम्य हा कष्टमिति होचतु: ॥ २ ॥
bhīṣmaṁ kṛpaṁ sa viduraṁ gāndhārīṁ droṇam eva ca tulya-duḥkhau ca saṅgamya hā kaṣṭam iti hocatuḥ
两位主尊会见了毗湿摩、克里帕、维杜拉、甘达里和德罗纳。他们表现出同样的悲伤，大声说道：“唉，这是多么痛苦啊！”
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī points out that those who were involved in the assassination attempt were of course not at all sorry to hear of the Pāṇḍavas’ death. The persons specifically mentioned here, however — Bhīṣma, Kṛpa, Vidura, Gāndhārī and Droṇa — were actually unhappy to hear of the supposed tragedy.
FAQs
In this verse, “hā kaṣṭam” expresses intense lamentation—“Alas, how grievous!”—spoken by those assembled who are overwhelmed by sorrow.
Śukadeva describes respected Kuru elders and relatives assembling in shared grief; their mention emphasizes the gravity of the situation and the widespread sorrow among the dynasty’s senior figures.
It highlights that even great and wise elders experience grief; recognizing sorrow as part of life can inspire humility, mutual support in difficult times, and a turn toward spiritual steadiness.