Shloka 6
Strī-parva Adhyāya 22 — Gāndhārī’s Battlefield Lament for the Fallen (Āvantya, Bāhlika, Jayadratha, and Duḥśalā)
अतीव मुखवर्णोडस्य निहतस्यापि शो भते । सोमस्येवाभिपूर्णस्य पौर्णमास्यां समुद्यत:,रणभूमिमें मारे जानेपर भी पूर्णमासीको उगते हुए पूर्ण चन्द्रमाकी भाँति इनके मुखकी कान्ति अत्यन्त प्रकाशित हो रही है
atīva mukhavarṇoḍasya nihatasya api śobhate | somasyevābhipūrṇasya paurṇamāsyāṃ samudyataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Even though he has been slain, the radiance of his face shines exceedingly—like the full moon rising on the night of the full-moon, perfectly filled with lunar light. The verse underscores a moral vision of heroic dignity: death on the battlefield does not erase the splendor of one whose bearing and inner worth remain evident even in defeat.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys that true nobility and heroic dignity can remain visible even in death; the slain warrior’s countenance still shines, suggesting enduring inner worth and the honor associated with courageous conduct.
In the Stree Parva’s lamentation context, the narrator describes a fallen figure on the battlefield whose face remains strikingly radiant, using the image of the full moon rising on the full-moon night to intensify the pathos and reverence.