Shloka 44

आयोधनदर्शनम्

Viewing the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra

Devanagari script

रुदिताद विरता होता ध्यायन्त्य: सपरिच्छदा: । कुरुस्त्रियो&भिगच्छन्ति तेन तेनैव दु:खिता:,'ये कुरुकुलकी स्त्रियाँ रोना बंद करके स्वजनोंका चिन्तन करती हुई परिजनोंसहित उन्हींकी खोजमें जाती और दुःखी होकर उन-उन व्यक्तियोंसे मिल रही हैं

Transliteration

ruditād viratā hotā dhyāyantyaḥ saparicchadāḥ | kurustriyo 'bhigacchanti tena tenaiva duḥkhitāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Ayant cessé de pleurer, les femmes de la maison des Kuru — toujours accablées — se mirent à songer à leurs proches. Avec leurs suivantes et leurs effets, elles partirent à leur recherche en tous sens ; et, dans la douleur, elles tombaient sur l’un puis sur l’autre, retrouvant chacun au gré des rencontres.

Word by Word

रुदितात्from weeping/crying

विरताःhaving ceased (desisting)

हूताःcalled/summoned

ध्यायन्त्यःmeditating/remembering

सwith

परिच्छदाःattendants/retinue (with belongings)

कुरुस्त्रियःKuru women

अभिगच्छन्तिgo towards/approach

तेनby that/thereby

तेनby that (one), by that (means)

एवindeed/only

दुःखिताःafflicted/sorrowful

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kuru women (Kurustrī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how grief can shift from uncontrolled lamentation to purposeful action—remembering one’s loved ones and seeking them—showing the human duty of care and connection even amid the devastation of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the aftermath of the Kurukṣetra slaughter, the Kuru women stop crying for a moment, think of their own family members, and move about with their attendants and belongings, searching and approaching different persons as they find them, still overwhelmed by sorrow.