Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 243

Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma

Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor

Devanagari script

हाहाभूता विनिष्क्रान्ता: श्रुत्वा परमदु:खिता: । यह समाचार सुनकर अन्तःपुरकी रत्नविभूषित रानियाँ बहुत दुःखी हुईं और हाहाकार करती हुई बाहर निकल आयीं

Transliteration

hāhābhūtā viniṣkrāntāḥ śrutvā paramaduḥkhitāḥ |

Translation

听闻此报，内宫中佩戴珠宝的诸王后与妃嫔悲恸至极；她们哀号哭喊，奔走而出。

Word by Word

• हाहा-भूताः: having become (utterers of) ‘hā hā’, wailing
• हाहा-भूताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाहा-भूत (भू + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विनिष्क्रान्ताः: having come out, having emerged
• विनिष्क्रान्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-निस्-क्रम् (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā)

• परम-दुःखिताः: extremely distressed
• परम-दुःखिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + दुःखित (दुःख + इत)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

श्येन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• antaḥpura (inner palace/royal women’s quarters)
• ratna-vibhūṣitāḥ (jewel-adorned queens/women)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how suffering cuts across status: even jewel-adorned royal women are powerless before grief. Ethically, it invites compassion and reminds the listener that actions and events ripple through families and communities, producing real human anguish.

What is happening in the narrative?

A distressing piece of news is heard. In response, the women of the inner palace become intensely sorrowful, cry out loudly, and come out from within—an outward eruption of mourning prompted by the report.