Mahabharata 11.12.6 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 12, Shloka 6
धृतराष्ट्रस्य उपालम्भः तथा पाण्डव-समाश्वासनम् | Dhṛtarāṣṭra Reproved and the Pāṇḍavas Consoled
ताभि: परिवृतो राजा क्रोशन्तीभि: सहस्रश: । ऊर्ध्वबाहुभिराताभी रुदतीभि: प्रियाप्रियै:
tābhiḥ parivṛto rājā krośantībhiḥ sahasraśaḥ | ūrdhvabāhubhirārtābhī rudatībhiḥ priyāpriyaiḥ ||
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—ہزاروں عورتوں نے، جو غم سے نڈھال تھیں، بازو بلند کیے ہوئے، بلند آواز سے نوحہ کرتی اور اپنے عزیز و غیر عزیز سب کے لیے آنسو بہاتی ہوئی، بادشاہ کو چاروں طرف سے گھیر لیا۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical cost of war: beyond political outcomes, the true consequence is widespread grief. It suggests a moral reflection that suffering is universal—mourning arises for both the beloved and the not-beloved—revealing the fragility of human life and the futility of triumph measured only in victory.
In the aftermath of the great slaughter, the king is encircled by innumerable women who cry out and weep, lifting their arms in despair. Their lamentation forms a collective scene of bereavement, emphasizing the scale of loss that follows the battle.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.