Shloka 17
Gandhārī’s Lament for Bhūriśravas and Śakuni
Book 11, Chapter 24
भार्या यूपध्वजस्यैषा करसम्मितमध्यमा । कृत्वोत्सड़े भुजं भर्तु: कृपणं परिदेवति,श्रीकृष्ण! देखो, यूपध्वजकी यह पतली कमरवाली भार्या पतिकी कटी हुई बाँहको गोदमें लेकर बड़े दीनभावसे विलाप कर रही है
bhāryā yūpadhvajasya eṣā karasammita-madhyamā | kṛtvotsṛḍe bhujaṃ bhartuḥ kṛpaṇaṃ paridevati |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Inilah isteri Yūpadhvaja, berpinggang ramping. Dengan meletakkan lengan suaminya yang terpenggal di atas ribanya, dia meratap dengan pilu”—suatu gambaran getir akibat perang, apabila harga keganasan ditanggung bukan sahaja oleh yang gugur, tetapi juga oleh yang tinggal untuk berkabung.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the human cost of war: beyond heroic narratives, violence leaves families shattered. It evokes compassion and ethical reflection on the suffering inflicted on innocents who must live with loss.
In the Strī Parva’s survey of the battlefield aftermath, Vaiśampāyana points out Yūpadhvaja’s wife. She holds her husband’s severed arm in her lap and cries out in grief, illustrating the pervasive mourning among women after the slaughter.