Shloka 34
अभिमन्युविलापः (Abhimanyu-vilāpa) — Uttarā’s lament, observed and framed by Gandhārī
उत्तरं चाभिमन्युं च काम्बोजं च सुदक्षिणम् । शिशूनेतान् हतान् पश्य लक्ष्मणं च सुदर्शनम्
uttaraṃ cābhimanyuṃ ca kāmbojaṃ ca sudakṣiṇam | śiśūnetān hatān paśya lakṣmaṇaṃ ca sudarśanam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Behold—Uttarā and Abhimanyu, and also Kāmboja and Sudakṣiṇa; these children have been slain. Look too upon Lakṣmaṇa, the handsome one.” The verse underscores the moral horror of war’s aftermath: even the young and promising are not spared, intensifying the lament and the ethical reckoning that follows the great slaughter.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tragedy of war: its violence consumes not only warriors but also the young, making grief and moral reflection unavoidable. It functions as a stark reminder that adharma in conflict yields irreversible human loss.
The speaker points out specific individuals—Uttarā, Abhimanyu, Kāmboja, Sudakṣiṇa, and Lakṣmaṇa—describing them as ‘children’ who have been slain, urging the listener to witness the devastation and thereby deepening the atmosphere of mourning characteristic of the Strī Parva.