Shloka 583
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य द्रोणरथारोহণं सात्यकेः प्रतिरक्षणं च | Dhrishtadyumna Boards Droṇa’s Chariot; Sātyaki’s Counter-Protection
सहस्रधा वधू दृष्टवा रुदतीं शोककर्शिताम् | “निश्चय ही मेरा हृदय वज़्सारका बना हुआ है, जो शोकसे कातर हुई बहू उत्तराको रोती देखकर सहखसों टुकड़ोंमें विदीर्ण नहीं हो जाता?
sahasradhā vadhūṃ dṛṣṭvā rudatīṃ śokakarśitām | niścayaṃ hi me hṛdayaṃ vajrasārakaṃ banaṃ bhūtaṃ yat śokase kātarāṃ vadhūm uttarāṃ rotīṃ dṛṣṭvā sahasraśo ṭukḍoṃ meṃ vidīrṇaṃ na bhavati ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Sungguh hatiku pasti telah menjadi sekeras wajra; sebab ketika kulihat Uttarā, pengantin muda yang diluluhlantakkan duka dan menangis, batinku tidak juga pecah menjadi seribu keping.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of war’s aftermath: true sensitivity is measured not by victory but by the capacity to feel others’ suffering. A heart that does not break at innocent grief is portrayed as unnaturally hardened.
Sañjaya describes witnessing Uttarā, a young bride, crying and weakened by sorrow. He remarks that his own heart must be like adamant because it does not split apart on seeing her grief—underscoring the tragic human cost surrounding the events of the war.