Shloka 8
Strī-parva Adhyāya 22 — Gāndhārī’s Battlefield Lament for the Fallen (Āvantya, Bāhlika, Jayadratha, and Duḥśalā)
एकादश चमूर्भित्त्वा रक्ष्यमाणं महात्मना । सत्यं चिकीर्षता पश्य हतमेनं जयद्रथम्
ekādaśa camūrbhittvā rakṣyamāṇaṁ mahātmanā | satyaṁ cikīrṣatā paśya hatam enaṁ jayadratham ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Setelah menembusi sebelas formasi perang, lihatlah Jayadratha terbaring mati—walaupun dia dijaga oleh seorang pahlawan agung—kerana ada yang bertekad menjadikan sumpah yang khidmat itu kenyataan.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical force of satya as fidelity to one’s pledged word: a determined commitment to fulfill a vow can drive extraordinary effort even amid extreme danger, and it frames success in war as morally charged by intention and resolve.
The narrator points to Jayadratha’s death and emphasizes how he was reached despite heavy protection: eleven military divisions were pierced, and the killing is presented as the outcome of a warrior’s determination to make a vow come true.