Shloka 27
Gāndhārī’s Lament and the Identification of Duḥśāsana (स्त्रीपर्व, अध्याय १८)
एष दुःशासन: शेते विक्षिप्य विपुलौ भुजौ । निहतो भीमसेनेन सिंहेनेव महागज:,सिंहके मारे हुए विशाल हाथीके समान भीमसेनका मारा हुआ यह दु:शासन दोनों विशाल हाथ फैलाये रणभूमिमें पड़ा हुआ है
eṣa duḥśāsanaḥ śete vikṣipya vipulau bhujau | nihato bhīmasenena siṃhen eva mahāgajaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Lihatlah Duḥśāsana terbaring di sini, kedua lengan besarnya terentang, dibunuh oleh Bhīmasena—seperti gajah besar yang ditumbangkan singa.” Bait ini menegaskan beban moral pembalasan dalam perang: pelaku kekerasan menerima akhir yang setimpal, dan medan laga menjadi akibat nyata daripada adharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents the battlefield as a moral ledger: wrongdoing (adharma) culminates in ruin, and the fall of a notorious offender is portrayed as a fitting, almost natural, consequence—symbolized by the lion overpowering the elephant.
Vaiśampāyana describes Duḥśāsana’s corpse on the battlefield, arms spread out, emphasizing that he has been killed by Bhīmasena. The simile compares Duḥśāsana to a huge elephant felled by a lion, highlighting Bhīma’s overpowering force and the finality of Duḥśāsana’s end.