Shloka 7
Gāndhārī’s Lament and the Identification of Duḥśāsana (स्त्रीपर्व, अध्याय १८)
क्रातृश्चान्या: पितृश्चान्या: पुत्रांक्ष निहतान् भुवि । दृष्टवा परिपतन्त्येता: प्रगृह्दा सुमहाभुजान्,कुछ स्त्रियाँ रणभूमिमें मारे गये अपने भाइयोंको, कुछ पिताओंको और कुछ पुत्रोंको देखकर उन महाबाहु वीरोंको पकड़ लेती और वहीं गिर पड़ती हैं
bhrātṝṁś cānyāḥ pitṝṁś cānyāḥ putrāṁś ca nihatān bhuvi | dṛṣṭvā paripatanty etāḥ pragṛhya sumahābhujān ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Some women, seeing their brothers slain upon the earth, others their fathers, and others their sons, seize those mighty-armed heroes and collapse there, overcome by grief. The verse underscores the human cost of war: beyond victory and duty, the battlefield becomes a place where familial bonds and compassion confront the devastation wrought by violence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and emotional aftermath of war: even when conflict is framed in terms of duty and victory, its consequences are borne by families, and grief collapses social distinctions. It invites reflection on compassion and the true cost of violence.
In the Strī Parva’s lamentation scenes, women come upon the slain—some finding brothers, some fathers, some sons. Overwhelmed, they grasp the bodies of the mighty warriors and fall down in sorrow on the battlefield.