Shloka 2

Strī-parva Adhyāya 22 — Gāndhārī’s Battlefield Lament for the Fallen (Āvantya, Bāhlika, Jayadratha, and Duḥśalā)

Devanagari script

त॑ पश्य कदन कृत्वा शूराणां मधुसूदन । शयानं वीरशयने रुधिरेण समुक्षितम्‌,मधुसूदन! देखो, अनेकों शूरवीरोंका संहार करके वह खूनसे लथपथ हो वीरशय्यापर सो रहा है

Transliteration

taṁ paśya kadanaṁ kṛtvā śūrāṇāṁ madhusūdana | śayānaṁ vīraśayane rudhireṇa samukṣitam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Madhusūdana, lihatlah—setelah melakukan pembantaian terhadap ramai pahlawan, kini dia terbaring di atas ranjang seorang kesatria, bermandi darah.”

Word by Word

तम्him

पश्यsee (you)

कदनम्slaughter, destruction

कृत्वाhaving done, after doing

शूराणाम्of heroes

मधुसूदनO Madhusūdana (Krishna)

शयानम्lying, sleeping

वीरशयनेon the hero's bed (bed of heroes)

रुधिरेणwith blood

समुक्षितम्sprinkled/soaked (thoroughly)

मधुसूदनO Madhusūdana

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)

śūrāḥ (heroes/warriors)

vīraśayana (hero’s bed/warrior’s couch)

rudhira (blood)

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 warfare: even heroic prowess culminates in blood and stillness, prompting reflection on dharma, responsibility, and the suffering that follows violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana), pointing out a warrior who, after killing many heroes, now lies on a warrior’s bed, soaked in blood—an image emphasizing the grim scene after battle.