Shloka 17
स्त्रीपर्व — नवमोऽध्यायः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra summons the Kuru women; the city departs in collective lamentation
यांश्वापि निहतान् युद्धे राज॑स्त्वमनुशोचसि । न शोच्या हि महात्मान: सर्वे ते त्रिदिवं गता:,“राजन! जो लोग युद्धमें मारे गये हैं और जिनके लिये आप बारंबार शोक कर रहे हैं, वे महामनस्वी वीर शोक करनेके योग्य नहीं हैं, वे सब-के-सब स्वर्गलोकमें चले गये
yāṁś cāpi nihatān yuddhe rājas tvam anuśocasi | na śocyā hi mahātmānaḥ sarve te tridivaṁ gatāḥ ||
यांश्चापि निहतान् युद्धे राजंस्त्वमनुशोचसि । न शोच्या हि महात्मानः सर्वे ते त्रिदिवं गताः ॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reframes grief through the lens of kṣatriya-dharma: warriors who fall in righteous battle are honored as mahātmans and are said to attain heaven; therefore excessive lamentation is presented as ethically misplaced.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a grieving king who mourns those killed in the war, and he offers consolation by asserting that the fallen were noble and have departed to tridiva (heaven).