Shloka 23
स्त्री-विलापः — गान्धार्याः रणभूमिदर्शनं शापवचनं च
Battlefield Lament and Gāndhārī’s Curse
वितुद्यमानं विहगैस्तं भार्या: पर्युपासिता: । चेदिराजं हृषीकेश हतं सबलबान्धवम्,हृषीकेश! सेना और बन्धुओंसहित मारे गये इस चेदिराजको पक्षी चोंच मार रहे हैं और उसकी स्त्रियाँ उसे चारों ओरसे घेरकर बैठी हैं
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
vitudyamānaṃ vihagais taṃ bhāryāḥ paryupāsitāḥ |
cedirājaṃ hṛṣīkeśa hataṃ sabalabāndhavam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Ketika burung-burung mematuknya, para isterinya duduk mengelilingi. Wahai Hṛṣīkeśa, raja Cedi terbaring mati—bersama bala tenteranya dan kaum kerabatnya—sedang para wanitanya berjaga dalam dukacita.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and human cost of war: glory and power collapse into helplessness, and the deepest suffering is borne by those left behind. It implicitly urges reflection on dharma, restraint, and compassion in the wake of violence.
Vaiśampāyana describes a battlefield aftermath: the king of Cedi lies dead along with his army and relatives; birds peck at the corpse, while his wives sit surrounding him in mourning and vigil, addressing Kṛṣṇa as Hṛṣīkeśa.