Mahabharata 11.25.20 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 25, Shloka 20

स्त्री-विलापः — गान्धार्याः रणभूमिदर्शनं शापवचनं च

Battlefield Lament and Gāndhārī’s Curse

Devanagari script

धृष्टकेतुं महात्मानं चेदिपुड़वमड़ना: | द्रोणेन निहतं शूरं हरन्ति हृतचेतस:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

dhṛṣṭaketuṁ mahātmānaṁ cedipuṅgavam ardanāḥ |

droṇena nihataṁ śūraṁ haranti hṛtacetasaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Les femmes, l’esprit comme frappé de stupeur par le chagrin, emportaient le vaillant Dhṛṣṭaketu—grand d’âme, le plus éminent des Cedis—tué par Droṇa, afin d’accomplir ses derniers rites.

Word by Word

• धृष्टकेतुम्: Dhṛṣṭaketu (as object)
• धृष्टकेतुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टकेतु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महात्मानम्: the great-souled one
• महात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चेदिपुत्रवध्वः: the wives of the Cedi prince
• चेदिपुत्रवध्वः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेदि-पुत्र-वधू
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• द्रोणेन: by Droṇa
• द्रोणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• निहतम्: slain
• निहतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• शूरम्: the hero
• शूरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हरन्ति: they carry/are carrying
• हरन्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• हृतचेतसः: bereft of sense, distraught
• हृतचेतसः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत-चेतस्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛṣṭaketu
• Droṇa
• Cedi (people/kingdom)
• Dhṛṣṭaketu's queens/wives

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when war is framed by kṣatriya-dharma, its aftermath is measured in grief and shattered households. The verse highlights the ethical weight of violence: valor and victory do not erase the suffering of those left to perform the dead’s last rites.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Dhṛṣṭaketu, the Cedi king, has been killed by Droṇa, his queens—overcome and mentally numb with sorrow—carry his body away for the funeral/cremation rites, as narrated by Vaiśampāyana.