Shloka 23
Gaṅgā-tīra Udaka-kriyā and Kuntī’s Disclosure of Karṇa’s Maternity
Strī-parva, Adhyāya 27
पञ्चालानां विनाशेन कुरूणां पतनेन च | तत: शतगुणं दुःखमिदं मामस्पृशद् भूशम्,“अभिमन्यु, द्रौपदीके पुत्र और पांचालोंके विनाशसे तथा कुरुकुलके इस पतनसे हमें जितना दुःख हुआ था, उससे सौ गुना यह दुःख इस समय मुझे अत्यन्त व्यथित कर रहा है
pañcālānāṁ vināśena kurūṇāṁ patanena ca | tataḥ śataguṇaṁ duḥkham idaṁ mām aspṛśad bhūśam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Daripada kebinasaan kaum Pāñcāla dan kejatuhan kaum Kuru, kami telah pun menanggung dukacita; namun dukacita yang sekarang ini menimpa aku seratus kali lebih berat, menikam hingga ke dasar jiwa.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how the consequences of adharma and war do not end with victory or defeat; grief can deepen beyond earlier losses, reminding the listener that collective destruction multiplies suffering and demands ethical reflection on actions and their aftermath.
In the Strī Parva’s lamentation context, Vaiśampāyana describes an overwhelming surge of sorrow: even compared to the earlier devastation of the Pāñcālas and the fall of the Kurus, the present event brings him a hundredfold greater anguish.