Shloka 26
Abhimanyu’s Śrāddha; Vyāsa’s Assurance of the Unborn Heir (अभिमन्योः श्राद्धं तथा गर्भरक्षणोपदेशः)
अस्यास्तु वचन श्रुत्वा सर्वास्ता: कुरुयोषित:,“इसकी बात सुनकर कुरुकुलकी सारी स्त्रियाँ इसे दोनों हाथोंसे पकड़कर अत्यन्त आर्त-सी होकर करुण विलाप करने लगीं
asyāstu vacanaṁ śrutvā sarvāstāḥ kuru-yoṣitaḥ
Waiśampāyana berkata: Mendengar ucapannya, semua perempuan wangsa Kuru dilanda duka. Mereka memegangnya dengan kedua tangan dan, dalam kepedihan yang amat, mulai meratap dengan pilu.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the human cost of conflict: beyond victory or ritual restoration, dharma must reckon with the suffering of families. Collective mourning becomes a moral reminder that violence leaves enduring wounds in society.
After hearing a woman’s statement (contextually, a grief-laden utterance), the women of the Kuru household react together—physically restraining or holding her and breaking into intense lamentation, expressing shared bereavement.