Shloka 17
विषण्णवदनाश्नासन् हतश्रीकाश्न भारत । अतिष् न व्रीडिताश्वैव ह्िया युक्ता हधोमुखा:,भारत! उनके मुखपर विषाद छा गया था। वे श्रीहीन और लज्जित हो नीचेकी ओर मुँह लटकाये खड़े थे
viṣaṇṇavadanāś cāsan hataśrīkāś ca bhārata | atīva ca vrīḍitā hy eva hrīyā yuktā adhomukhāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O Bhārata, their faces were clouded with dejection. Their splendour had faded; overwhelmed by shame and modesty, they stood with their heads bowed down.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical-psychological consequence of failure and wrongdoing in war: loss of śrī (dignity/radiance) and the inward collapse into vrīḍā and hrī, expressed physically by bowed heads—an implicit reminder that adharma and defeat both erode honor.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warriors he is describing have become visibly dispirited: their faces show sorrow, their confidence and splendour have waned, and they stand ashamed with downcast faces, indicating a sudden drop in morale on the battlefield.