Shloka 14
आयोधनदर्शनम्
Viewing the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra
अदृष्टपूर्व पश्यन्त्यो दुःखार्ता भरतस्त्रिय: । शरीरेष्वस्खलन्नन्या: पतन्त्यश्चापरा भुवि,जिसे कभी देखा नहीं था, उस अद्भुत रणक्षेत्रको देखकर भरतकुलकी कुछ स्त्रियाँ दुःखसे आतुर हो लाशोंपर गिर पड़ीं और दूसरी बहुत-सी स्त्रियाँ धरतीपर गिर गयीं
adṛṣṭapūrvaṁ paśyantyo duḥkhārtā bharatastriyaḥ | śarīreṣv askhalann anyāḥ patantyaś cāparā bhuvi ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Beholding that battlefield—something they had never seen before—the women of the Bharata line, overwhelmed by grief, stumbled among the bodies; some collapsed upon the corpses, while many others fell down upon the earth. The verse underscores the human cost of war: beyond victory and defeat, it leaves families shattered and society burdened with sorrow.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and emotional aftermath of war: even when fought under claims of duty, its consequences spill onto innocents, especially families. It invites reflection on compassion and the societal burden created by violence.
After the great battle, the Bharata women come to the battlefield. Seeing the unprecedented scene of slaughter, they are overcome with grief—some stumble among the bodies and fall upon them, while others collapse on the ground.