Shloka 53
Gaṅgā-tīra Udaka-kriyā and Kuntī’s Disclosure of Karṇa’s Maternity
Strī-parva, Adhyāya 27
वीरपत्नीभिराकीर्ण गज़ातीरमशो भत । महासागरके समान विशाल वह गंगातट आनन्द और उत्सवसे शून्य होनेपर भी उन वीर-पत्नियोंसे व्याप्त होनेके कारण बड़ी शोभा पाने लगा
vaiśampāyana uvāca | vīrapatnībhiḥ ākīrṇaṃ gaṅgātīram aśobhat | mahāsāgarakasamaṃ viśālaṃ tad gaṅgātaṭam ānanda-utsavaśūnyaṃ api vīrapatnībhiḥ vyāptaṃ sat mahatyā śobhāṃ prāpa |
Disse Vaiśampāyana: A margem do Gaṅgā, apinhada das esposas dos heróis tombados, mostrava-se impressionante. Vasta como o grande oceano, aquela ampla ribeira—embora esvaziada de alegria e festividade—ainda assim adquiria um esplendor grave, pois estava repleta dessas mulheres heroicas, cuja presença transformava o próprio luto em solene testemunho do custo da guerra.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of war: even when victory is claimed, the visible presence of widows turns the landscape into a moral reminder of loss. It suggests that true assessment of action (dharma) must include its human cost, not merely its political outcome.
In the Strī Parva’s mourning context, the Gaṅgā’s broad bank is described as being filled with the wives of slain warriors. Though the place lacks joy and celebration, it attains a solemn, poignant splendor because of the gathered women and their grief.