Shloka 14
Strī-parva Adhyāya 22 — Gāndhārī’s Battlefield Lament for the Fallen (Āvantya, Bāhlika, Jayadratha, and Duḥśalā)
सैषा मम सुता बाला विलपन्ती च दुःखिता । आत्मना हन्ति चात्मानमाक्रोशन्ती च पाण्डवान्,देखो, वहीं मेरी यह बेटी दुःशला जो अभी बालिका है, किस तरह दुःखी हो-होकर विलाप कर रही है? और पाण्डवोंको कोसती हुई स्वयं ही अपनी छाती पीट रही है!
saiṣā mama sutā bālā vilapantī ca duḥkhitā | ātmanā hanti cātmānam ākrośantī ca pāṇḍavān |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Behold—this is my young daughter Duḥśalā. Overwhelmed by sorrow, she is wailing aloud; and as she cries out against the Pāṇḍavas, she strikes her own body in anguish.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how grief can erupt into self-harm and harsh speech against others; ethically, it points to the need for compassion and restraint in the aftermath of violence, recognizing that suffering often seeks an outlet in blame.
Vaiśaṃpāyana draws attention to Duḥśalā, still young, who is openly lamenting. In her distress she beats herself and cries out against the Pāṇḍavas, expressing the raw pain and anger of those left bereaved after the war.