Shloka 6
Gāndhārī’s Lament and the Identification of Duḥśāsana (स्त्रीपर्व, अध्याय १८)
दृष्टवा मे पार्थिवसुतामेतां लक्ष्मणमातरम् | राजपुत्रीं महाबाहो मनो न ह्युपशाम्यति,महाबाहो! यह लक्ष्मणकी माता एक भूमिपालकी बेटी है, इस राजकुमारीकी दशा देखकर मेरा मन किसी तरह शान्त नहीं होता है
dṛṣṭvā me pārthivasutām etāṃ lakṣmaṇamātaram | rājaputrīṃ mahābāho mano na hy upaśāmyati ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai yang berlengan perkasa, apabila aku memandang puteri ini—anak raja, ibu kepada Lakṣmaṇa—hatiku langsung tidak menemukan ketenangan. Keadaannya membuat jiwaku tidak mampu reda.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical sensitivity to suffering: witnessing the devastation borne by women and families after war should disturb the conscience rather than be dismissed. It implicitly critiques the human cost of conflict and upholds compassion as a dharmic response.
Vaiśampāyana describes his reaction upon seeing Lakṣmaṇa’s mother—identified as a princess and king’s daughter—overwhelmed by her plight. The scene belongs to the lamentation atmosphere of Strīparvan, where the aftermath of war is narrated through grief-stricken figures.