Shloka 13

आयोधनदर्शनम्

Viewing the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra

Devanagari script

रुद्राक्रीडनिभं दृष्टवा तदा विशसन स्त्रिय: । महाहें भ्यो5थ यानेभ्यो विक्रोशन्त्यो निपेतिरे,रुद्रकी क्रीडास्थलीके समान उस रणभूमिको देखकर वे स्त्रियाँ अपने बहुमूल्य रथोंसे क्रन्दन करती हुई नीचे गिर पड़ी

Transliteration

rudrākrīḍanibhaṃ dṛṣṭvā tadā viśasan striyaḥ | mahāhebhyo 'tha yānebhyo vikrośantyo nipetire ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Melihat medan perang itu, seakan-akan gelanggang permainan pemusnahan milik Rudra sendiri, para wanita—meraung dan meratap—rebah jatuh dari gajah-gajah besar dan kenderaan-kenderaan lain.

Word by Word

रुद्राक्रीडनिभम्resembling Rudra’s play (i.e., terrifying like Rudra’s sport)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

तदाthen

विशसन्lamenting/crying out

स्त्रियःwomen

महाहेभ्यःfrom the great elephants

अथand then

यानेभ्यःfrom the vehicles/chariots

विक्रोशन्त्यःcrying out, wailing

निपेतुःfell down

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Rudra (Śiva)

women (striyaḥ)

battlefield (implicit)

elephants (mahāhebhyaḥ)

vehicles/conveyances (yāna)

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 highlights the ethical cost of war: violence does not end with victory or defeat but radiates suffering to families and civilians. The Rudra-simile intensifies the sense that uncontrolled destruction, even if politically ‘necessary,’ leaves a moral and emotional ruin that dharma must reckon with.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Stree Parva’s lamentation scenes after the Kurukṣetra war, women arrive to view the battlefield. On seeing the slaughtered field—likened to Rudra’s fearsome arena—they cry out and collapse from their elephants and other conveyances, overwhelmed by grief.