Mahabharata 11.25.11 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 25, Shloka 11

स्त्री-विलापः — गान्धार्याः रणभूमिदर्शनं शापवचनं च

Battlefield Lament and Gāndhārī’s Curse

Devanagari script

अपने पति कोसलनरेश राजकुमार बृहदबलको भी चारों ओरसे घेरकर उनकी रानियाँ अलग-अलग रो रही हैं ।।

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | asya gātragatān bāṇān kārṣṇibāhubalārpitān | uddharanty asukhāviṣṭā mūrcchamānāḥ punaḥ punaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Bị nỗi đau xé lòng vùi dập, các vương hậu vây quanh chàng, hết lần này đến lần khác rút những mũi tên cắm sâu trong tay chân—những mũi tên bị sức cánh tay của Kārṣṇi thúc vào—nhưng rồi lại ngất lịm, ngã quỵ liên hồi.

Word by Word

• अस्य: of this (man)
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• गात्रगतान्: gone into the limbs / lodged in the body
• गात्रगतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गात्रगत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• बाणान्: arrows
• बाणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कार्ष्णिबाहुबलार्पितान्: shot/placed by the arm-strength of the Kārṣṇi (Abhimanyu)
• कार्ष्णिबाहुबलार्पितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्ष्णि-बाहु-बल-अर्पित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• उद्धरन्ति: they pull out
• उद्धरन्ति: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√हृ
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• असुखाविष्टाः: overcome by grief/distress
• असुखाविष्टाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असुख-आविष्ट
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• मूर्च्छमानाः: fainting
• मूर्च्छमानाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मूर्च्छ्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kārṣṇi (Abhimanyu, per context)
• Bṛhadbala (prince/king of Kosala, per context)
• Kosala
• Queens of Bṛhadbala
• Arrows (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical aftermath of warfare: victory and valor do not end suffering; the pain transfers to families—especially women—whose lives are shattered. It invites reflection on dharma in war and compassion for those who bear its consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the battle, the queens of the fallen Kosala ruler (Bṛhadbala, per the provided context) surround his body and, in intense grief, try to remove the arrows embedded in his limbs—arrows said to have been driven in by Kārṣṇi’s (Abhimanyu’s) arm-strength—fainting repeatedly as they do so.