Shloka 78

Devanagari script

धर्मको जाननेवाली गान्धारी अपने मनमें दुःखका बड़ा भारी बोझ ढो रही थी। उसने दुःखोंको मनमें ही दबा लिया और रोते हुए लोगोंसे कहा--'ऐसा न करो” ।। इतरास्तु स्त्रिय: सर्वा: कुन्त्या सह सुदुःखिता: । नेत्रारागतविक्लेदै: परिवार्य स्थिता5भवन्‌,कुन्तीके साथ कुरुकुलकी अन्य स्त्रियाँ भी अत्यन्त दुःखी हो नेत्रोंसे आँसू बहाती हुई उन्हें घेरकर खड़ी हो गयीं

Transliteration

itarās tu striyaḥ sarvāḥ kuntyā saha suduḥkhitāḥ | netrāragata-vikledaiḥ parivārya sthitā abhavan ||

Translation

Alle übrigen Frauen standen zusammen mit Kuntī unter überwältigendem Schmerz. Tränen quollen ihnen in die Augen und benetzten sie; so standen sie um sie herum — ein Bild gemeinsamen Trauerns und zurückgehaltener Standhaftigkeit angesichts eines unwiderruflichen Verlustes.

Word by Word

इतराःother

तुbut/indeed

स्त्रियःwomen

सर्वाःall

कुन्त्याwith Kunti

सहtogether with

सुदुःखिताःvery sorrowful

नेत्रारागतविक्लेदैःwith moisture/tears that had come to the eyes

परिवार्यhaving surrounded

स्थिताःstood

अभवन्were/became

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Gāndhārī

Kuntī

Kuru women (other women of the Kuru lineage)

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 highlights dharmic restraint and solidarity in suffering: grief is acknowledged openly (tears, gathering around Kuntī) yet held within the bounds of composure and mutual support, emphasizing compassion and shared responsibility in times of loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, the Kuru women—already burdened by the devastation of the war—stand around Kuntī, weeping. The scene underscores a communal lament, with Gāndhārī and the others bearing an immense inner weight of sorrow.