aho kaṣṭam aho 'nyāyyaṁ yad yūyaṁ dharma-nandanāḥ jīvituṁ nārhatha kliṣṭaṁ vipra-dharmācyutāśrayāḥ
Synonyms
aho—oh; kaṣṭam—what terrible sufferings; aho—oh; anyāyyam—what terrible injustice; yat—because; yūyam—you all good souls; dharma-nandanāḥ—sons of religion personified; jīvitum—to remain alive; na—never; arhatha—deserved; kliṣṭam—sufferer; vipra—brahmins; dharma—piety; acyuta—God; āśrayāḥ—being protected by.
Translation
Oh what terrible sufferings and what terrible injustice you all good souls had to suffer only for your becoming the sons of religion personified. You did not deserve to remain alive under those tribulations but yet you were protected by the brahmins, god and religion.
Purport
Maharaj Yudhisthir was disturbed in his mind on account of great massacre in the battle of Kurukshetra. Bhismadeva could understand this and therefore he uttered the first word of terrible suffering which Maharaj Yudhisthir had to suffer. He was put in to difficulty by injustice only and the battle of Kurukshetra was fought just to counteract this injustice. Therefore, there was nothing to be sorry on account of the great massacre. He wanted to point out particularly that they were always protected by the Brahmins, the Lord and religious principles. So long they are protected by these three important items there was no cause of disappointment and thus Bhisma Deva encouraged Maharaj Yudhisthir for dissipating his despondency. So long a person is fully in co-operation with the wishes of the Lord guided by the bonafide Brahmins and Vaisnavas strictly followed in terms of religious principles, one has no cause for despondency, however, trying may be the circumstances of life. Bhismadeva as one of the authorities in the line wanted to impress this point of guidance upon the Pandavas.