Shloka 22

स्त्री-विलापः — गान्धार्याः रणभूमिदर्शनं शापवचनं च

Battlefield Lament and Gāndhārī’s Curse

Devanagari script

एष चेदिपति: शूरो धृष्टकेतुर्महारथ: । शेते विनिहत:ः संख्ये हत्वा शत्रूनू सहस्रशः,यह चेदिराज शूरवीर महारथी धृष्टकेतु सहस्रों शत्रुओंको मारकर मारा गया और रणशय्यापर सदाके लिये सो गया

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | eṣa cedipatiḥ śūro dhṛṣṭaketur mahārathaḥ | śete vinihataḥ saṅkhye hatvā śatrūn sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

ഈ ചേദിരാജനായ ശൂര മഹാരഥൻ ധൃഷ്ടകേതു, ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് ശത്രുക്കളെ വധിച്ച ശേഷം യുദ്ധത്തിൽ വിനിഹതനായി; ഇപ്പോൾ അവൻ രണശയ്യയിൽ ശാശ്വതനിദ്രയിൽ കിടക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

एषःthis (man)

चेदिपतिःlord/king of Cedi

शूरःheroic, brave

धृष्टकेतुःDhṛṣṭaketu (proper name)

महारथःgreat chariot-warrior

शेतेlies, rests

विनिहतःslain, killed

संख्येin battle

हत्वाhaving slain

शत्रून्enemies

सहस्रशःby thousands, in thousands

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhṛṣṭaketu

Cedi

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the greatest warriors, after immense feats, are brought down by time and battle; the verse highlights the impermanence of power and the heavy human cost that accompanies kṣatriya duty in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator points out the fallen Dhṛṣṭaketu, king of Cedi, describing him as a mighty mahāratha who slew enemies in great numbers but has now been killed and lies on the battlefield.