Shloka 16
अभिमन्युविलापः (Abhimanyu-vilāpa) — Uttarā’s lament, observed and framed by Gandhārī
तस्य शोणितदिग्धान् वै केशानुद्यम्य पाणिना । उत्सड़े वक्त्रमाधाय जीवन्तमिव पृच्छति,जनार्दन! देखो, अभिमन्युके सिरको गोदीमें रखकर उत्तरा उसके खूनसे सने हुए केशोंको हाथसे उठा-उठाकर सुलझाती है और मानो वह जी रहा हो, इस प्रकार उससे पूछती है
tasya śoṇita-digdhān vai keśān udyamya pāṇinā | utsaṅge vaktram ādhāya jīvantam iva pṛcchati |
വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവൾ അവന്റെ രക്തത്തിൽ കുതിർന്ന മുടി കൈകൊണ്ട് ഉയർത്തി, മുഖം തന്റെ മടിയിൽ വെച്ച്, അവൻ ഇപ്പോഴും ജീവിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ അവനോട് ചോദിച്ചു തുടങ്ങി।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical aftermath of war: even when a conflict is framed in terms of duty, its violence leaves irreparable personal suffering. It invites reflection on dharma not only as battlefield obligation but also as responsibility toward the vulnerable and the grieving.
After Abhimanyu’s death, Uttarā cradles his head in her lap, lifts and arranges his blood-matted hair, and speaks to him as if he were alive—an intimate image of shock, love, and mourning narrated by Vaiśampāyana.