Shloka 7

स्त्रीपर्व — गान्धारीविलापः

Strī Parva — Gāndhārī’s Lament over the Fallen

Devanagari script

एष संग्रामशूरेण प्रतिज्ञां पालयिष्यता । दुर्मुखो5भिमुख: शेते हतोडरिगणहा रणे,जो शत्रुसमूहोंका संहार करनेवाला था, वह दुर्मुख प्रतिज्ञा पालन करनेवाले संग्राम-शूर भीमसेनके हाथों मारा जाकर समरमें सम्मुख सो रहा है

Transliteration

eṣa saṅgrāmaśūreṇa pratijñāṁ pālayiṣyatā | durmukho 'bhimukhaḥ śete hato 'rigaṇahā raṇe ||

Translation

ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಜ್ಞೆಯನ್ನು ಪಾಲಿಸಲು ದೃಢನಿಶ್ಚಯಗೊಂಡ ಆ ಸಂಗ्रामಶೂರನ ಕೈಯಿಂದ ಮುಖಾಮುಖಿ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಹತನಾದ ದುರ್ಮುಖನು ರಣಭೂಮಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿದ್ದಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ಶತ್ರುಸಮೂಹಗಳನ್ನು ಸಂಹರಿಸುವವನು ಆಗಿದ್ದರೂ, ಭೀಮಸೇನನ ಪ್ರತಿಜ್ಞಾಬದ್ಧ ದೃಢತೆಯಿಂದ ಕುಸಿದು ಸಮರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಶ್ಚೇಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಶಯನಿಸಿದ್ದಾನೆ.

Word by Word

एषःthis (man)

संग्रामशूरेणby the battle-hero

प्रतिज्ञाम्the vow

पालयिष्यताby (one) who will keep/fulfil

दुर्मुखःDurmukha (proper name)

अभिमुखःfacing (frontwards)

शेतेlies

हतःslain

अरिगणहाslayer of hosts of foes

रणेin battle

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Durmukha

Bhīmasena

battlefield (raṇa/saṅgrāma)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of pratijñā (a solemn vow): a warrior’s resolve to uphold his pledged duty becomes a decisive moral force, even against one famed for killing enemy hosts. It frames victory not merely as strength, but as steadfast adherence to one’s declared commitment within the kṣatriya code.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana points out Durmukha lying dead on the battlefield, killed in direct combat by Bhīmasena, who is described as a battle-hero intent on fulfilling his vow. The scene is part of the post-war lamentation context of the Strī Parva, where the fallen are identified and their ends recalled.