Shloka 10
Gandhārī’s Lament for Bhūriśravas and Śakuni
Book 11, Chapter 24
दिष्ट्या तत् काज्चनं छत्र॑ यूपकेतोर्महात्मन: । विनिकीर्ण रथोपस्थे सौमदत्तेन पश्यसि,'सौभाग्यसे अपने महामनस्वी पुत्र यूपध्वज भूरिश्रवाके रथपर खण्डित होकर गिरे हुए उसके सुवर्णमय छत्रको आप नहीं देख पा रहे हैं!
diṣṭyā tat kāñcanaṃ chatraṃ yūpaketor mahātmanaḥ | vinikīrṇaṃ rathopasthe saumadattena paśyasi |
Durch glückliche Fügung siehst du nicht den goldenen Schirm des hochherzigen Yūpaketu—Bhūriśravas—zerbrochen und verstreut, von Saumadatta auf den Sitz seines Streitwagens geschleudert.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a fallen royal parasol—an emblem of honor and sovereignty—to underscore the fragility of worldly status in war. Ethical reflection arises from seeing how violence reduces even revered symbols to debris, prompting contemplation on dharma, restraint, and the cost of conflict.
Vaiśampāyana points out a specific battlefield sight: the golden parasol associated with the noble Yūpaketu lies scattered on the chariot-seat, having been cast down by Saumadatta. The image functions as a concrete sign of defeat and death amid the lamentations of the Strī Parva context.