Shloka 15
कुन्तीनिवर्तनप्रयत्नः तथा वननिवासप्रारम्भः
Attempt to Dissuade Kuntī; Commencement of Forest Residence
इयं तु निष्टप्तसुवर्णगौरी राज्ञो विराटस्य सुता सपुत्रा भार्याभिमन्योर्निहतो रणे यो द्रोणादिभिस्तैर्विरथो रथस्थै:
iyaṁ tu niṣṭapta-suvarṇa-gaurī rājño virāṭasya sutā sa-putrā | bhāryābhimanyor nihato raṇe yo droṇādibhis tair viratho ratha-sthaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “This young woman, radiant like heated gold, sits with her child in her lap. She is Uttarā, the daughter of King Virāṭa. She is the wife of the valiant Abhimanyu, who was slain in battle after being deprived of his chariot by Droṇa and other great chariot-warriors who remained mounted.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical gravity of warfare: Abhimanyu’s death is recalled as occurring when he was made chariotless and attacked by multiple mounted warriors, underscoring how adharma in battle deepens suffering—especially for the innocent survivors (the widow and child) who bear its consequences.
Sañjaya identifies a radiant young woman holding her child: she is Uttarā, daughter of King Virāṭa and widow of Abhimanyu. He briefly recounts Abhimanyu’s battlefield death at the hands of Droṇa and other chariot-warriors after Abhimanyu was rendered without a chariot.