Shloka 6

Gaṅgā-tīra Udaka-kriyā and Kuntī’s Disclosure of Karṇa’s Maternity

Strī-parva, Adhyāya 27

Devanagari script

ततः कुन्ती महाराज सहसा शोककर्शिता

Transliteration

tataḥ kuntī mahārāja sahasā śokakarśitā

Translation

Da wurde Kuntī, o großer König, plötzlich—vom Kummer gezeichnet und zermürbt—nach jenem Unheil von Trauer ergriffen, als die Erzählung sich dem menschlichen Preis des Krieges und der moralischen Last zuwendet, die die Ältesten tragen.

Word by Word

ततःthen; thereafter

कुन्तीKunti

महाराजO great king

सहसाsuddenly; all at once

शोककर्शिताafflicted/tormented by grief

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kuntī

Janamejaya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical and emotional aftermath of violence: even when actions are framed within kṣatriya-duty and political necessity, the survivors—especially elders and mothers—bear profound grief, reminding the listener that dharma is not merely victory but also accountability to suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues narrating to King Janamejaya and describes Kuntī becoming suddenly overwhelmed by sorrow, setting the tone for the Strīparvan’s focus on mourning and the devastation left by the war.