Shloka 16
मौसलपर्व — अध्याय ८
Arjuna’s evacuation of Dvārakā, Vasudeva’s rites, and the caravan’s crisis
मनो मे दीर्यते येन चिन्तयानस्य वै मुहु: । पश्यतो वृष्णिदाराश्न मम ब्रह्मन् सहस्रशः
mano me dīryate yena cintayānasya vai muhuḥ | paśyato vṛṣṇidārāś ca mama brahman sahasraśaḥ ||
Arjuna dijo: «Mi mente se desgarra al pensarlo una y otra vez. Oh brahmán, ante mis propios ojos los Vr̥ṣṇi y sus mujeres están siendo destruidos por millares.»
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and existential shock that follows collective violence: even mighty lineages collapse, and witnessing such ruin can fracture the mind. It underscores impermanence and the burden of responsibility when dharma seems to unravel in the aftermath of conflict.
In the Mausala Parva, the Yādavas/Vr̥ṣṇis meet catastrophic destruction. Arjuna, addressing a Brahmin sage, expresses repeated, overwhelming distress as he sees the Vr̥ṣṇi men and their women perishing in vast numbers.