Shloka 231
अभिमन्युविलापः (Abhimanyu-vilāpa) — Uttarā’s lament, observed and framed by Gandhārī
“वीर! आप पाण्डवों और पांचालोंके देखते-देखते सनाथ होते हुए भी अनाथकी भाँति कैसे मारे गये? ।। दृष्टवा बहुभिराक्रन्दे निहतं त्वां पिता तव । वीर: पुरुषशार्दटूल: कथं जीवति पाण्डव:
vīra! āp pāṇḍavoṃ aura pāñcāloṃ ke dekhate-dekhate sanātha hote hue bhī anātha-kī bhānti kaise māre gaye? dṛṣṭvā bahubhir ākrande nihataṃ tvāṃ pitā tava | vīraḥ puruṣaśārdūlaḥ kathaṃ jīvati pāṇḍavaḥ ||
Wahai pahlawan! Di hadapan para Pāṇḍava dan Pāñcāla, meski engkau memiliki pelindung, bagaimana engkau terbunuh seakan tanpa naungan sama sekali? Melihatmu gugur di tengah ratap banyak orang, bagaimana ayahmu dapat terus hidup? Bagaimana Pāṇḍava itu—sang kesatria, harimau di antara manusia—masih dapat bernapas?
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse intensifies the moral shock of war: even the protected can be cut down, and the community’s cries cannot undo death. It highlights the fragility of human security and the ethical weight of violence—how a single killing radiates suffering through families (the father’s unbearable grief) and allies.
In the Strī-parvan’s mourning atmosphere, the speaker voices a lament addressed to a fallen hero, questioning how he could be slain in full view of his allies (the Pāṇḍavas and Pāñcālas). The lament then turns to the survivor’s agony: how can the slain man’s father—and the renowned Pāṇḍava hero—continue living after witnessing such a death amid widespread wailing.