Mahabharata 11.1.9 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 1, Shloka 9
स्त्रीपर्व १: धृतराष्ट्रशोकः संजयाश्वासनं च
Strī Parva 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Saṃjaya’s Consolation
वैशम्पायन उवाच तच्छुत्वा करुणं वाक्यं पुत्रपौत्रवधार्दित: । पपात भुवि दुर्थधर्षो वाताहत इव द्रुम:
vaiśampāyana uvāca: tac chrutvā karuṇaṃ vākyaṃ putrapautra-vadhārditaḥ | papāta bhuvi durdharṣo vātāhata iva drumaḥ ||
વૈશમ્પાયન બોલ્યા—સંજયના તે કરુણ વચન સાંભળીને, પુત્ર-પૌત્રોના વધથી વ્યાકુળ થયેલા રાજા ધૃતરાષ્ટ્ર પવનથી આઘાત પામેલા વૃક્ષની જેમ ધરતી પર પડી ગયા.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral aftermath of adharma-driven conflict: victory and power cannot shield anyone from the karmic weight of violence. Even a once-formidable king is reduced to helpless grief when confronted with the irreversible loss caused by war.
After hearing Sañjaya’s sorrowful report, Dhṛtarāṣṭra—overwhelmed by the deaths of his sons and grandsons—falls to the ground. The simile of a wind-felled tree emphasizes the suddenness and totality of his collapse.
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