Shloka 13

स्त्री-विलापः — गान्धार्याः रणभूमिदर्शनं शापवचनं च

Battlefield Lament and Gāndhārī’s Curse

Devanagari script

द्रोणेन निहता: शूरा: शेरते रुचिराज्भदा: । धृष्टद्युम्नसुता: सर्वे शिशवो हेममालिन:,ये द्रोणाचार्यके मारे हुए धृष्टद्युम्नके सभी छोटे-छोटे शूरवीर बालक सो रहे हैं। इनकी भुजाओंमें सुन्दर अंगद और गलेमें सोनेके हार शोभा पाते हैं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | droṇena nihatāḥ śūrāḥ śerate rucirāṅgadāḥ | dhṛṣṭadyumnasutāḥ sarve śiśavo hemamālinaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Slain by Droṇa, the young heroic sons of Dhṛṣṭadyumna lie there in death—still adorned with beautiful armlets and wearing garlands of gold.

Word by Word

द्रोणेनby Droṇa

निहताःslain

शूराःheroes/warriors

शेरतेlie (recline)

रुचिर-अङ्गदाःhaving splendid armlets

धृष्टद्युम्न-सुताःsons of Dhṛṣṭadyumna

सर्वेall

शिशवःchildren/boys

हेम-मालिनःwearing golden garlands/necklaces

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Droṇa

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

sons of Dhṛṣṭadyumna

aṅgada (armlets)

hema-mālā (gold garlands)

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 highlights the moral cost of war: valor and noble lineage do not protect the young from destruction. Their ornaments—symbols of honor and life—contrast with their death, intensifying the ethical critique of violence and the grief that follows adharma-driven conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the aftermath of slaughter: the youthful sons of Dhṛṣṭadyumna, killed by Droṇa, are seen lying lifeless, still decorated with armlets and gold garlands—an image meant to evoke pity and horror in the wider lamentation of the Strī Parva.