Shloka 19

Gāndhārī’s Lament and the Identification of Duḥśāsana (स्त्रीपर्व, अध्याय १८)

Devanagari script

एष दुःशासन: शेते शूरेणामित्रघातिना । पीतशोणितसर्वाड्रो युधि भीमेन पातित:,शत्रुधाती शूरवीर भीमसेनने युद्धमें जिसे मार गिराया तथा जिसके सारे अंगोंका रक्त पी लिया, वही यह दुःशासन यहाँ सो रहा है

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | eṣa duḥśāsanaḥ śete śūreṇāmitraghātinā | pītaśoṇitasarvāṅgo yudhi bhīmena pātitaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Inilah Duḥśāsana terbaring—ditumbangkan dalam pertempuran oleh Bhīma, wira pembunuh musuh. Seluruh tubuhnya bermandi darah, kerana Bhīma menjatuhkannya di medan perang.”

Word by Word

एषःthis (man)

दुःशासनःDuhshasana

शेतेlies (is lying)

शूरेणby the hero

अमित्रघातिनाby the slayer of foes

पीतशोणितसर्वाङ्गःwhose all limbs had their blood drunk (i.e., drained of blood)

युधिin battle

भीमेनby Bhima

पातितःfelled / struck down

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Duḥśāsana

Bhīma (Bhīmasena)

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 stark ethical cost of vengeance in war: even when a foe is justly defeated, the result is a scene of blood and grief, reminding the listener that victory does not erase the moral and emotional devastation of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana points out Duḥśāsana’s corpse on the battlefield, stating that Bhīma—renowned for destroying enemies—has struck him down in combat, leaving him covered in blood.