Shloka 28
Kṛṣṇa’s Departure, Auspicious Omens, and the Opening of the Uttaṅka Dialogue (कृष्णप्रयाण-निमित्त-उत्तङ्कसंवाद-प्रारम्भः)
गान्धारीं च महाप्रज्ञां पृथां कृष्णां च भामिनीम् । सुभद्राद्याश्न ता: सर्वा भरतानां स्त्रियस्तथा
gāndhārīṃ ca mahāprajñāṃ pṛthāṃ kṛṣṇāṃ ca bhāminīm | subhadrādyāś ca tāḥ sarvā bharatānāṃ striyas tathā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: He also addressed Gandhārī, the greatly wise; Pṛthā (Kuntī); and Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), the noble lady. Likewise, Subhadrā and all the other women of the Bharata lineage were (also addressed/assembled) there—honoured together in that solemn context.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the collective dignity of the royal women—Gandhārī, Kuntī, Draupadī, Subhadrā, and others—reminding the listener that dharma in the post-war world includes honoring elders, acknowledging shared suffering, and restoring social harmony through respectful inclusion.
Vaiśampāyana lists the principal women of the Kuru-Bharata household who are being addressed or gathered in the scene. The narration shifts attention from warriors and kings to the women whose presence is essential in rites, counsel, and the moral reckoning after the great conflict.