Shloka 37
वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त्वा न्यपतद् भूमौ गान्धारी शोकमूर्च्छिता । दुःखोपहतविज्ञाना धैर्यमुत्सूज्य भारत,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं-- भारत! ऐसा कहकर शोकसे मूर्च्छित हुई गान्धारी धैर्य छोड़कर पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ीं, दुःखसे उनकी विवेकशक्ति नष्ट हो गयी
vaiśampāyana uvāca: ity uktvā nyapatad bhūmau gāndhārī śokamūrcchitā | duḥkhopahatavijñānā dhairyam utsṛjya bhārata ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having spoken thus, Gāndhārī—overwhelmed and fainting from grief—collapsed to the ground. O Bhārata, her discernment was shattered by sorrow, and she let go of all steadiness of mind. The verse underscores how catastrophic loss can overpower even the most disciplined resolve, revealing the human cost of the war beyond the battlefield.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and psychological aftermath of violence: even those known for restraint can be undone by overwhelming loss. It implicitly warns that war’s consequences extend beyond victory or defeat, eroding inner stability (dhairya) and clear judgment (vijñāna).
After speaking (in the surrounding context of lamentation in Strīparvan), Gāndhārī is overcome by grief, loses composure, and collapses to the earth; Vaiśampāyana narrates this to the listener addressed as ‘Bhārata’ (Dhṛtarāṣṭra).