Shloka 9
स्त्री-विलापः — गान्धार्याः रणभूमिदर्शनं शापवचनं च
Battlefield Lament and Gāndhārī’s Curse
प्रकीर्णवस्त्राभरणा रुदत्य: शोककर्शिता: । स्वास्तीर्णशयनोपेता मागध्य: शेरते भुवि,इनके वस्त्र और आभूषण अस्त-व्यस्त हो रहे हैं। सुन्दर बिछौनोंसे युक्त शय्याओंपर शयन करनेके योग्य ये मगधदेशकी रानियाँ शोकसे व्याकुल हो रोती हुई भूमिपर लोट रही हैं
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
prakīrṇavastrābharaṇā rudatyaḥ śokakarśitāḥ |
svāstīrṇaśayanopetā māgadhyaḥ śerate bhuvi ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Para wanita Magadha, pakaian dan perhiasan mereka berselerak, menangis dalam derita, direnggut oleh duka. Walau biasa berbaring di atas hamparan yang rapi dan katil yang layak, kini mereka terbaring di atas tanah yang keras.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the human cost of war: even those who once lived in comfort and dignity are reduced to grief and helplessness. It invites ethical reflection on violence and its ripple effects on innocents, especially women and families.
In the Strī Parva’s lamentation scenes after the great slaughter, Vaiśampāyana describes the women of Magadha: their attire disordered, crying in sorrow, lying on the ground despite being accustomed to well-made beds—signaling the collapse of normal life after the war.