Shloka 17
Gāndhārī’s Lament and the Identification of Duḥśāsana (स्त्रीपर्व, अध्याय १८)
शतचन्द्राणि चर्माणि ध्वजांश्चादित्यवर्चस: । रौक्माणि चैव वर्माणि निष्कानपि च काउ्चनान्,गोविन्द! देखो, मेरे पुत्रोंकी ये सौ चन्द्राकार चिह्लोंसे सुशोभित ढालें, सूर्यके समान तेजस्विनी ध्वजाएँ, सुवर्णमय कवच, सोनेके निष्क तथा शिरस्त्राण घीकी उत्तम आहुति पाकर प्रज्वलित हुई अग्नियोंके समान पृथ्वीपर देदीप्यमान हो रहे हैं
śatacandrāṇi carmāṇi dhvajāṁś cādityavarcasaḥ | raukmāṇi caiva varmāṇi niṣkān api ca kāñcanān ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “There lie, shining upon the earth, a hundred shields marked with moon-like emblems; banners radiant as the sun; golden coats of mail; and golden neck-ornaments as well. These splendid instruments of war and honor—once borne with pride—now blaze in the mind’s eye like sacrificial fires fed with rich oblations, underscoring the terrible cost of violence and the fragility of worldly glory.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts the splendor of martial regalia with the devastation that follows war, highlighting the impermanence of worldly glory and inviting ethical reflection on the true cost of violence.
In the aftermath of the great slaughter, the narrator describes the battlefield strewn with brilliant shields, sun-bright banners, golden armor, and ornaments—objects once signifying power and honor, now lying on the ground as silent witnesses to ruin.