Shloka 10
अध्याय २१ — गान्धार्या वैकर्तनदर्शनम्
Gāndhārī’s Viewing of Vaikartana/Karṇa
पश्य कर्णस्य पत्नीं त्वं वृषसेनस्य मातरम् । लालप्यमानां करुणं रुदतीं पतितां भुवि,देखो, कर्णकी पत्नी एवं वृषसेनकी माता पृथ्वीपर गिरकर रोती हुई कैसा करुणाजनक विलाप कर रही है?
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: paśya karṇasya patnīṃ tvaṃ vṛṣasenasyā mātaram | lālapyamānāṃ karuṇaṃ rudatīṃ patitāṃ bhuvi ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Look—behold Karṇa’s wife, the mother of Vṛṣasena. Fallen upon the earth, she weeps and laments in a heart-rending manner.” The verse underscores the human cost of war: beyond the fallen warriors, their families are left to grieve, revealing the ethical weight of violence and the sorrow that follows adharma-driven conflict.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and emotional aftermath of war: the suffering of widows and mothers becomes a living testimony to the ethical burden of violence, urging compassion and reflection on dharma.
Vaiśampāyana directs attention to Karṇa’s wife—also the mother of Vṛṣasena—who has collapsed on the ground and is crying and lamenting intensely, illustrating the widespread mourning in the Strī Parva.