Shloka 39
Chapter 26: Śoka-pratiṣedha, Hata-saṅkhyā, Gati-vibhāga, Pretakārya-ājñā
Restraint of Grief, Count of the Slain, Destinies, and Funerary Directives
पितृमेधाश्व केषांचित् प्रावर्तनत महात्मनाम् | सामभि क्षाप्यगायन्त तेडन्वशोचन्त चापरै:,किन्हीं महामनस्वी वीरोंके लिये पितृमेध (श्राद्धकर्म) भी आरम्भ कर दिये गये। कुछ लोगोंने वहाँ सामगान किया तथा कितने ही मनुष्योंने वहाँ मरे हुए विभिन्न जनोंके लिये महान् शोक प्रकट किया
pitṛmedhāśva keṣāñcit prāvartanata mahātmanām | sāmabhiḥ kṣāpyagāyanta te 'nv-aśocanta cāparaiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: Para alguns daqueles heróis de grande alma, puseram-se em curso os ritos de pitṛmedha—cerimônias fúnebres e oferendas de śrāddha aos que partiram. Naquele lugar, alguns entoavam cânticos Sāman, enquanto outros lamentavam abertamente e exprimiam profunda dor pelos muitos que haviam morrido.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma in the aftermath of violence: even amid overwhelming sorrow, society turns to prescribed rites (pitṛmedha/śrāddha) and sacred chant to honor the dead, regulate grief, and restore moral order.
After the great slaughter, people begin funeral and ancestral rites for certain fallen heroes; some perform Sāmaveda-style chanting, while others mourn and lament for the many deceased.