Shloka 14
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 23: Report of the Slain Sūtaputras, Royal Orders, and Sairandhrī’s Return
रथघोषश्न बलवान् गन्धर्वाणां तरस्विनाम् । ते मे वाचं विजानन्तु सूतपुत्रा नयन्ति माम्,जिन वेगवान् गन्धर्वोंके धनुषोंकी प्रत्यंचाका भीषण शब्द वज्राघातके समान सुनायी देता है तथा जिनके रथोंकी घर्घराहटकी आवाज भी बड़े जोरसे उठती और दूरतक फैलती है, वे मेरी आर्त वाणी सुनें और समझें। ये सुतपुत्र मुझे श्मशानमें ले जा रहे हैं
rathaghoṣaś ca balavān gandharvāṇāṁ tarasvinām | te me vācaṁ vijānantu sūtaputrā nayanti mām ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Deruman kereta dan dentingan busur para Gandharva yang tangkas itu kedengaran seperti hentaman kilat. Biarlah mereka mendengar dan memahami jeritanku yang pilu: anak-anak sūta ini sedang menyeret aku pergi—menuju tanah pembakaran mayat.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear and humiliation surface in crisis: the speaker, overwhelmed by the terrifying martial sounds, appeals for recognition and rescue while using a socially loaded insult (“sūtaputrāḥ”). It implicitly shows how distress can distort speech and ethics, revealing the tension between dignity and desperation.
Amid the clash involving swift Gandharvas, the speaker describes the frightening roar of chariots and bow-sounds and cries out for the Gandharvas to understand his plea, saying that “sons of a sūta” are taking him away—toward the cremation-ground—signaling imminent danger and captivity.