Shloka 42
Chapter 26: Śoka-pratiṣedha, Hata-saṅkhyā, Gati-vibhāga, Pretakārya-ājñā
Restraint of Grief, Count of the Slain, Destinies, and Funerary Directives
ये चाप्यनाथास्तत्रासन् नानादेशसमागता: । तांश्व सर्वान् समानाय्य राशीन् कृत्वा सहस्रश:,इसके बाद वहाँ अनेक देशोंसे आये हुए जो अनाथ लोग मारे गये, उन सबकी लाशोंको मँगवाकर उनके सहस्रों ढेर लगाये। फिर घी-तेलमें भिगोयी हुई बहुत-सी लकड़ियोंद्वारा स्थिरचित्तवाले लोगोंसे चिता बनाकर उन सबको विदुरजीने राजाकी आज्ञाके अनुसार दग्ध करवा दिया
ye cāpyanāthās tatrāsan nānādeśasamāgatāḥ | tāṁś ca sarvān samānāyya rāśīn kṛtvā sahasraśaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “And those who lay there without protectors—having come from many different lands—were all gathered together, and their bodies were piled up in thousands.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid the devastation of war, dharma requires that the dead—especially the unprotected and forgotten—be treated with due rites and human dignity. The verse underscores social responsibility toward those without family or patrons, reminding rulers and communities that ethical duty continues after victory.
After the great slaughter, the unclaimed dead who had come from many regions are collected. Their bodies are gathered and arranged into large heaps in preparation for the subsequent funerary procedures described in the surrounding passage.