Shloka 5
आयोधनदर्शनम्
Viewing the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra
अस्थिकेशवसाकीर्ण शोणितौघपरिप्लुतम् । शरीरैर्बहुसाहसरविनिकीर्ण समन्ततः,वह रणक्षेत्र हड्डियों, केशों और चर्बियोंसे भरा था, रक्तके प्रवाहसे आप्लावित हो रहा था, कई हजार लाशें वहाँ चारों ओर बिखरी हुई थीं
asthikeśavasākīrṇaṃ śoṇitaughapariplutam | śarīrair bahusāhasrair vinikīrṇaṃ samantataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The battlefield was strewn with bones, hair, and clotted fat; it was flooded by torrents of blood, and all around it lay scattered the bodies of many thousands. The scene underscores the moral cost of war—how the pursuit of victory culminates in pervasive suffering and the stark aftermath that confronts survivors with grief and responsibility.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse forces attention onto the human and ethical cost of war: beyond claims of dharma or victory, the tangible outcome is mass death and suffering, demanding sober reflection, compassion, and accountability from those who remain.
Vaiśampāyana describes the post-battle scene: the field is littered with bodily remains and flooded with blood, with thousands of corpses scattered in every direction—setting the tone for the lamentation and mourning central to the Strī Parva.