Shloka 9

स्त्री-विलापः — गान्धार्याः रणभूमिदर्शनं शापवचनं च

Battlefield Lament and Gāndhārī’s Curse

Devanagari script

प्रकीर्णवस्त्राभरणा रुदत्य: शोककर्शिता: । स्वास्तीर्णशयनोपेता मागध्य: शेरते भुवि,इनके वस्त्र और आभूषण अस्त-व्यस्त हो रहे हैं। सुन्दर बिछौनोंसे युक्त शय्याओंपर शयन करनेके योग्य ये मगधदेशकी रानियाँ शोकसे व्याकुल हो रोती हुई भूमिपर लोट रही हैं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

prakīrṇavastrābharaṇā rudatyaḥ śokakarśitāḥ |

svāstīrṇaśayanopetā māgadhyaḥ śerate bhuvi ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മഗധദേശത്തിലെ സ്ത്രീകൾ, അവരുടെ വസ്ത്രാഭരണങ്ങൾ ചിതറിപ്പോയി, ശോകംകൊണ്ട് ക്ഷീണിച്ച് കരഞ്ഞുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നു; നന്നായി വിരിച്ച ശയനങ്ങളോട് പരിചയമുള്ളവരായിട്ടും ഇപ്പോൾ അവർ ഭൂമിയിലേയ്ക്ക് വീണുകിടക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

प्रकीर्ण-वस्त्र-आभरणाःwhose clothes and ornaments are dishevelled/scattered

रुदत्यःcrying, weeping

शोक-कर्शिताःemaciated/afflicted by grief

स्व-आस्तीर्ण-शयन-उपेताःpossessing beds/couches well-spread (with coverings)

मागध्यःthe women/queens of Magadha

शेरतेlie down, recline

भुविon the ground/earth

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Magadha

Māgadhyaḥ (women/queens of Magadha)

vastra (garments)

ābharaṇa (ornaments)

śayana (beds/couches)

bhūmi (earth/ground)

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?

The verse underscores the human cost of war: even those who once lived in comfort and dignity are reduced to grief and helplessness. It invites ethical reflection on violence and its ripple effects on innocents, especially women and families.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Strī Parva’s lamentation scenes after the great slaughter, Vaiśampāyana describes the women of Magadha: their attire disordered, crying in sorrow, lying on the ground despite being accustomed to well-made beds—signaling the collapse of normal life after the war.