स्त्रीपर्व १: धृतराष्ट्रशोकः संजयाश्वासनं च
Strī Parva 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Saṃjaya’s Consolation
निर्जनेयं वसुमती शून्या सम्प्रति केवला । नानादिग्भ्य: समागम्य नानादेश्या नराधिपा:
nirjaneyam vasumatī śūnyā samprati kevalā | nānādighbhyaḥ samāgamya nānādeśyā narādhipāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Cette terre est devenue déserte — à présent, elle est entièrement vide et silencieuse. Pourtant, des rois, accourus de toutes les directions et issus de contrées diverses, se sont rassemblés.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse underscores the moral and social cost of war: even when rulers gather in great numbers, the world they rule can be left desolate. It points to impermanence of power and the emptiness that follows adharma-driven conflict.
In the opening of the Strī Parva, the narrator describes the post-war scene: the earth appears deserted and emptied by the slaughter, while kings from many directions and regions assemble—setting the stage for the lamentation and mourning that characterize this parva.