Shloka 6
Gāndhārī’s Battlefield Survey: The Fallen and the Onset of Funeral Rites (शल्य-भगीरथ-भीष्म-द्रोणादि-दर्शनम्)
युधिष्ठिरेण निहतं शल्यं समितिशो भनम् । रुदत्य: पर्युपासन्ते मद्रराजं कुलाज्ना:,युधिष्ठिरके द्वारा मारे गये तथा युद्धमें शोभा पानेवाले मद्रराज शल्यको ये कुलांगनाएँ चारों ओरसे घेरकर बैठी हैं और रो रही हैं
vaiśampāyana uvāca | yudhiṣṭhireṇa nihataṁ śalyaṁ samitiśobhanam | rudatyaḥ paryupāsante madrarājaṁ kulāṅganāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The women of the Madra clan, weeping, sat all around King Śalya—slain by Yudhiṣṭhira, yet renowned for his splendor in battle—keeping vigil over their fallen lord. The scene underscores the human cost of righteous war: even a king celebrated for martial glory becomes the center of grief when dharma’s conflict reaches its tragic end.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse juxtaposes martial glory with the inevitability of sorrow: even a warrior famed for brilliance in battle becomes an object of mourning. It highlights the ethical weight of war—dharma may compel action, yet its outcomes still demand compassion and sober reflection on suffering.
After Śalya, the Madra king, has been slain by Yudhiṣṭhira, the women of his clan gather around his body, sitting close in vigil and crying. The narration shifts from battlefield achievement to the immediate, personal grief of those left behind.