Shloka 2
विनिकीर्णभनुर्बाणं दृष्टवा निहतमर्जुनम् । भीमसेनं यमौ चैव निर्विचेष्टान् गतायुष:,धर्मपुत्रो महाबाहुर्विललाप सुविस्तरम् । अर्जुन मरे पड़े थे; उनके धनुष-बाण इधर-उधर बिखरे थे। भीमसेन और नकुल-सहदेव भी प्राणरहित हो निश्रेष्ट हो गये थे। इन सबको देखकर युधिष्ठिर गरम-गरम लंबी साँसें खींचने लगे। उनके नेत्रोंसे शोकके आँसू उमड़कर उन्हें भिगो रहे थे। अपने समस्त भ्राताओंको इस प्रकार धराशायी हुए देख महाबाह धर्मपुत्र युधिष्ठिर गहरी चिन्तामें डूब गये और देरतक विलाप करते रहे--
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | vinikīrṇa-dhanur-bāṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā nihataṃ arjunam | bhīmasenaṃ yamau caiva nirviceṣṭān gatāyuṣaḥ | dharmaputro mahābāhur vilalāpa suvistaram |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Seeing Arjuna slain, with his bow and arrows scattered about, and seeing Bhīmasena and the twin brothers as well—lifeless and motionless—Dharma’s son, the mighty-armed Yudhiṣṭhira, broke into a long and unrestrained lament. The scene confronts him with the collapse of fraternal duty and royal responsibility at once, and his grief rises from both love for his brothers and the moral shock of their sudden downfall.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how swiftly worldly supports—strength, skill, and even the closest bonds—can collapse, confronting a righteous person with grief and moral disorientation. Yudhiṣṭhira’s lament underscores the human cost behind heroic ideals and invites reflection on steadiness in dharma when faced with sudden loss.
Yudhiṣṭhira comes upon a devastating sight: Arjuna lies slain with his weapons scattered, and Bhīma along with the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) are motionless and dead. Overwhelmed, he begins a prolonged lament.