Mahabharata 11.19.9 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 19, Shloka 9
स्त्रीपर्व — गान्धारीविलापः
Strī Parva — Gāndhārī’s Lament over the Fallen
शूरस्य हि रणे कृष्ण पश्याननमथेदृशम् । स कथं निहतोअमित्रै: पांसून् ग्रसति मे सुत:
śūrasya hi raṇe kṛṣṇa paśyānana-mathedṛśam | sa kathaṁ nihato 'mitraiḥ pāṁsūn grasati me sutaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Kṛṣṇa, look at my son’s face—how radiant it is, the very face of a hero in battle. How could it be that this brave son of mine was slain by enemies and now lies there, made to swallow dust?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the tragic irony of war: even the most radiant and valorous warrior can be reduced to lifeless dust. It highlights the ethical and emotional cost of violence—heroism does not shield one from mortality, and victory cannot erase grief.
In the aftermath of the great battle, a grieving speaker addresses Kṛṣṇa, pointing to his fallen son. He marvels at the son’s still-radiant, heroic face and cannot comprehend how such a warrior could be killed by enemies and now lie in the dust.
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