Shloka 3

स्त्रीपर्व — गान्धारीविलापः

Strī Parva — Gāndhārī’s Lament over the Fallen

Devanagari script

अस्य चापग्रहेणैव पाणि: कृतकिणो महान्‌ | कथज्जचिच्छिद्यते गृप्रैरत्तुकामैस्तलत्रवान्‌,बराबर धनुष लिये रहनेसे इसकी विशाल हथेलीमें घट्ठा पड़ गया है। इसके हाथमें इस समय भी दस्ताना बँधा हुआ है; इसलिये इसे खानेकी इच्छावाले गीध बड़ी कठिनाईसे किसी-किसी तरह काट पाते हैं

Transliteration

asya cāpagraheṇaiva pāṇiḥ kṛtakiṇo mahān | kathaṃ ca cicchidyate gṛdhrair attukāmais talatravān ||

Translation

ଧନୁଷ ଧରି ରହିବାରୁ ତାହାର ବିଶାଳ ହସ୍ତତଳରେ ମୋଟା ଘଟ୍ଟା ପଡ଼ିଯାଇଛି। ଏବଂ ଏଯାଁ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ତାହାର ହାତରେ ଦସ୍ତାନା ବନ୍ଧା ଅଛି; ତେଣୁ ଖାଇବାକୁ ଚାହୁଁଥିବା ଗିଧମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ବହୁ କଷ୍ଟରେ କିଛିପରି ତାହାକୁ କାଟି-ଛିଣ୍ଡି ପାରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

अस्यof this (man)

चand

आपग्रहेणby the grasp/holding (of the bow)

एवindeed/just

पाणिःhand/palm

कृतकिणःmade calloused; having callus

महान्great/large

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

bow (cāpa)

hand/palm (pāṇi)

vultures (gṛdhra)

hand-guard/glove (talatra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the grim ethical aftermath of war: the warrior’s lifelong discipline (a palm hardened by gripping the bow) becomes, after death, a mark on the body amid battlefield desecration. It evokes reflection on the cost of violence and the impermanence of martial glory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a fallen warrior’s hand: it is large and calloused from constant bow-gripping, and still protected by a glove/hand-guard. Because of this covering, vultures trying to eat the corpse can only tear the hand with difficulty.