स्त्रीपर्व १: धृतराष्ट्रशोकः संजयाश्वासनं च
Strī Parva 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Saṃjaya’s Consolation
निर्जनेयं वसुमती शून्या सम्प्रति केवला । नानादिग्भ्य: समागम्य नानादेश्या नराधिपा:
nirjaneyam vasumatī śūnyā samprati kevalā | nānādighbhyaḥ samāgamya nānādeśyā narādhipāḥ ||
वैशम्पायन उवाच— निर्जनेयं वसुमती शून्या सम्प्रति केवला। नानादिग्भ्यः समागम्य नानादेश्या नराधिपाः समागताः॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse underscores the moral and social cost of war: even when rulers gather in great numbers, the world they rule can be left desolate. It points to impermanence of power and the emptiness that follows adharma-driven conflict.
In the opening of the Strī Parva, the narrator describes the post-war scene: the earth appears deserted and emptied by the slaughter, while kings from many directions and regions assemble—setting the stage for the lamentation and mourning that characterize this parva.