Shloka 36
आयोधनदर्शनम्
Viewing the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra
सुरूपवर्णा बहव: क्रव्यादैरवघट्टिता: । ऋषभप्रतिरूपाश्न शेरते हरितस्रज:,“सुन्दर रूप और कान्तिवाले, साँड़ोंके समान हृष्ट-पुष्ट तथा हरे रंगके हार पहने हुए बहुत-से योद्धा यहाँ सोये पड़े हैं और मांसभक्षी जन्तु इन्हें उलट-पलट रहे हैं
surūpavarṇā bahavaḥ kravyādair avaghaṭṭitāḥ | ṛṣabhapratirūpāś ca śerate haritasrajaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Many warriors of handsome form and radiant complexion—bull-like in their robust strength and wearing green garlands—lie here fallen, while flesh-eating creatures jostle and turn their bodies over. The scene exposes the moral cost of war: splendor and prowess end in helplessness, and the battlefield reduces all pride to a grim equality before death.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the impermanence of worldly glory: even the most splendid and powerful warriors become vulnerable in death. It implicitly critiques the pride and allure of martial splendor by showing its end—an ethical reminder of war’s dehumanizing aftermath and the need for dharmic restraint.
In the Stree Parva’s lament-filled aftermath of the Kurukṣetra war, the narrator describes the battlefield: numerous well-adorned, strong warriors lie dead, and flesh-eating creatures disturb their bodies. The imagery intensifies the atmosphere of grief and horror that frames the women’s mourning.