Shloka 68

धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)

Devanagari script

पज्चालाश्च यथा सर्वे निहता: सपदानुगा: । धृष्टद्युम्न: शिखण्डी च द्रौपद्या: पजच चात्मजा:,समस्त पांचाल-सैनिक अपने सेवकोंसहित कैसे मारे गये? धृष्टद्युम्न, शिखण्डी तथा द्रौपदीके पाँचों पुत्रोंका वध किस प्रकार हुआ?

Transliteration

pañcālāś ca yathā sarve nihatāḥ sapadānugāḥ | dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ śikhaṇḍī ca draupadyāḥ pañca cātmajāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Auf welche Weise wurden alle Pāñcālas erschlagen, zusammen mit ihren Dienern und Gefolgsleuten? Und wie wurden Dhṛṣṭadyumna und Śikhaṇḍin getötet, ebenso die fünf Söhne Draupadīs?“

Word by Word

पाञ्चालाःthe Panchalas

चand

यथाhow; in what manner

सर्वेall

निहताःwere slain

सपदानुगाःtogether with their followers/attendants

धृष्टद्युम्नःDhrishtadyumna

शिखण्डीShikhandi

चand

द्रौपद्याःof Draupadi

पञ्चfive

चand

आत्मजाःsons; offspring

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāñcālas

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

Śikhaṇḍin

Draupadī

Draupadī’s five sons (Upapāṇḍavas)

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 frames an ethical and narrative inquiry into the consequences of war: even eminent warriors and the innocent-connected (attendants, young heirs) become vulnerable in the collapse of dharma during conflict. It invites reflection on how violence spreads beyond the battlefield’s stated aims and consumes entire communities.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana introduces (or relays) a question seeking details about the manner of death of the Pāñcāla forces and key figures—Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Śikhaṇḍin, and Draupadī’s five sons—setting up an account of their slaying in the war’s grim aftermath.