Shloka 6
Gāndhārī’s Lament and the Identification of Duḥśāsana (स्त्रीपर्व, अध्याय १८)
दृष्टवा मे पार्थिवसुतामेतां लक्ष्मणमातरम् | राजपुत्रीं महाबाहो मनो न ह्युपशाम्यति,महाबाहो! यह लक्ष्मणकी माता एक भूमिपालकी बेटी है, इस राजकुमारीकी दशा देखकर मेरा मन किसी तरह शान्त नहीं होता है
dṛṣṭvā me pārthivasutām etāṃ lakṣmaṇamātaram | rājaputrīṃ mahābāho mano na hy upaśāmyati ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô toi aux bras puissants, lorsque je vois cette princesse—fille d’un roi, mère de Lakṣmaṇa—mon esprit ne trouve aucun apaisement. Son état ne laisse pas mon cœur se calmer.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical sensitivity to suffering: witnessing the devastation borne by women and families after war should disturb the conscience rather than be dismissed. It implicitly critiques the human cost of conflict and upholds compassion as a dharmic response.
Vaiśampāyana describes his reaction upon seeing Lakṣmaṇa’s mother—identified as a princess and king’s daughter—overwhelmed by her plight. The scene belongs to the lamentation atmosphere of Strīparvan, where the aftermath of war is narrated through grief-stricken figures.