Mahabharata 11.25.10 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 25, Shloka 10

स्त्री-विलापः — गान्धार्याः रणभूमिदर्शनं शापवचनं च

Battlefield Lament and Gāndhārī’s Curse

Devanagari script

कोसलानामधिपतिं राजपुत्रं बृहदूबलम्‌ । भर्तरें परिवार्यता: पृथक्‌ प्ररुदिता: स्त्रिय:

Transliteration

kośalānām adhipatiṁ rājaputraṁ bṛhadūbalam | bhartāraṁ parivārya tāḥ pṛthak praruditāḥ striyaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Những người phụ nữ tụ lại quanh phu quân của họ—Bṛhadūbala, hoàng tử và chúa tể xứ Kośala—rồi bắt đầu khóc than, mỗi người một nỗi, riêng rẽ trong sầu khổ của mình.”

Word by Word

• कोसलानाम्: of the Kosalas
• कोसलानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोसल
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अधिपतिम्: the lord/king
• अधिपतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिपति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• राजपुत्रम्: the prince
• राजपुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बृहदूबलम्: Bṛhadūbala (proper name)
• बृहदूबलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहदूबल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भर्तरम्: husband
• भर्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परिवार्य: having surrounded/encircled
• परिवार्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वृ
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• पृथक्: separately, apart
• पृथक्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक्

• प्ररुदिताः: wept, cried aloud
• प्ररुदिताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + रुद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural, Past (PPP)

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kośala
• Bṛhadūbala
• the women (wives/ladies of Bṛhadūbala’s household)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical aftermath of war: victory and heroism are shadowed by the private suffering of families. It draws attention to compassion and the recognition that violence produces enduring grief beyond the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Strī Parva’s mourning scenes after the war, the women of Bṛhadūbala’s household gather around him and cry out in sorrow, each expressing grief individually as they confront the loss of their husband and protector.