Shloka 8
स्त्रीपर्व — नवमोऽध्यायः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra summons the Kuru women; the city departs in collective lamentation
वैशम्पायन उवाच तच्छुत्वा वचन घोरं संजयस्य महीपति: । गतासुरिव निश्रेष्टो न्यपतत् पृथिवीतले,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन! संजयका यह घोर वचन सुनकर राजा धुृतराष्ट्र प्राणशून्यकी भाँति निश्वेष्ट हो पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tac chrutvā vacanaṃ ghoraṃ sañjayasya mahīpatiḥ | gatāsur iva niśceṣṭo nyapatat pṛthivītale ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing Sañjaya’s dreadful report, the king Dhṛtarāṣṭra collapsed to the ground, motionless as if bereft of life. The scene underscores how the truth of war’s outcome—when finally faced without denial—can shatter even royal composure, revealing the moral weight of attachment and the consequences of long-ignored counsel.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the crushing moral and emotional aftermath of war: when reality arrives in full force, attachment and long-standing denial can render a person helpless. It implicitly warns that ignoring dharmic counsel and clinging to partiality leads not only to external ruin but also to inner collapse.
Sañjaya delivers a terrifying account (of the calamity and losses). On hearing it, King Dhṛtarāṣṭra—overwhelmed by shock and grief—falls to the ground, motionless, as though lifeless.