Mahabharata 11.19.3 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 19, Shloka 3

स्त्रीपर्व — गान्धारीविलापः

Strī Parva — Gāndhārī’s Lament over the Fallen

Devanagari script

अस्य चापग्रहेणैव पाणि: कृतकिणो महान्‌ | कथज्जचिच्छिद्यते गृप्रैरत्तुकामैस्तलत्रवान्‌

Transliteration

asya cāpagraheṇaiva pāṇiḥ kṛtakiṇo mahān | kathaṃ ca cicchidyate gṛdhrair attukāmais talatravān ||

Translation

ધનુષ પકડી રાખવાથી જ તેની વિશાળ હથેળીમાં જાડા ઘટ્ટા પડી ગયા છે. અને હજી પણ તેના હાથમાં દસ્તાનો બંધાયેલો છે; તેથી માંસલોભી ગીધો પણ બહુ મુશ્કેલીથી જ કોઈ રીતે તેને ફાડી-કાપી શકે છે.

Word by Word

• अस्य: of this (man)
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• आपग्रहेण: by the grasp/holding (of the bow)
• आपग्रहेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपग्रह
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पाणिः: hand/palm
• पाणिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतकिणः: made calloused; having callus
• कृतकिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतकिण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महान्: great/large
• महान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• bow (cāpa)
• hand/palm (pāṇi)
• vultures (gṛdhra)
• hand-guard/glove (talatra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the grim ethical aftermath of war: the warrior’s lifelong discipline (a palm hardened by gripping the bow) becomes, after death, a mark on the body amid battlefield desecration. It evokes reflection on the cost of violence and the impermanence of martial glory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a fallen warrior’s hand: it is large and calloused from constant bow-gripping, and still protected by a glove/hand-guard. Because of this covering, vultures trying to eat the corpse can only tear the hand with difficulty.