Shloka 6
Chapter 5: Dāruka’s Mission, Balarāma’s Yogic Departure, and Kṛṣṇa’s Niṣkramaṇa
षोडशस्त्रीसहस्राणि वासुदेवपरिग्रह: । पूर्वकालमें लोकनाथ श्रीकृष्णके द्वारा सुरक्षित होनेके कारण जो सबसे अधिक सनाथा थीं, वे ही भगवान् श्रीकृष्णकी सोलह हजार अनाथा स्त्रियाँ अर्जुनको रक्षकके रूपमें आया देख उच्चस्वरसे करुण क्रन्दन करने लगीं ।। तासामासीन्महान् नादो दृष्टवैवार्जुनमागतम्,वहाँ पधारे हुए अर्जुनको देखते ही उन स्त्रियोंका आर्तनाद बहुत बढ़ गया। उन सबपर दृष्टि पड़ते ही अर्जुनकी आँखोंमें आँसू भर आये। पुत्रों और श्रीकृष्णसे हीन हुई उन अनाथ अबलाओंकी ओर उनसे देखा नहीं गया
ṣoḍaśa-strī-sahasrāṇi vāsudeva-parigrahaḥ | pūrva-kāle me loka-nāthaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇena rakṣitāḥ sanāthā iva yāḥ striyaḥ, tā eva bhagavataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇasya ṣoḍaśa-sahasrāṇy anāthāḥ striyaḥ arjunaṃ rakṣaka-rūpeṇa āgataṃ dṛṣṭvā uccaiḥ-svareṇa karuṇaṃ krandituṃ pracakramuḥ || tāsām āsīn mahān nādaḥ dṛṣṭvaiva arjunam āgatam; tatra upasthitaṃ arjunaṃ dṛṣṭvā tāsāṃ strīṇām ārta-nādaḥ bahu-vardhata | tāḥ sarvā dṛṣṭvā arjunasya akṣiṇoḥ aśrūṇi pūrayām āsuḥ | putraiḥ ca śrī-kṛṣṇena ca hīnāḥ anāthāḥ abalāḥ tāḥ dṛṣṭuṃ na śaśāka ||
षोडशस्त्रीसहस्राणि वासुदेवपरिग्रहाः । तासामासीन्महान्नादो दृष्ट्वैवार्जुनमागतम् ॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical duty of protection (rakṣaṇa-dharma) and the fragility of worldly security: those once 'sanāthā' under a righteous guardian become 'anāthā' when that protector is gone. It also foregrounds compassion as a dharmic response—Arjuna’s tears signal moral sensitivity rather than mere sentiment.
After Śrī Kṛṣṇa is no longer present, his sixteen thousand women—formerly safe under his guardianship—see Arjuna arrive to protect them. They break into loud lamentation, and Arjuna, overwhelmed by their bereavement (loss of Kṛṣṇa and their sons), is moved to tears and can hardly look upon their suffering.