Mahabharata (Gita Press) 11.21.6 - Stree Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 6

अध्याय २१ — गान्धार्या वैकर्तनदर्शनम्

Gāndhārī’s Viewing of Vaikartana/Karṇa

Devanagari script

समेता: पुरुषव्याप्र निहतं शूरमाहवे | प्रकीर्णमूर्धजा: पत्न्यो रुदत्य: पर्युपासते,पुरुषसिंह! रणभूमिमें मारे गये इस शूरवीरके पास आकर इसकी पत्नियाँ सिरके बाल बिखेरे बैठी हुई रो रही हैं

Transliteration

sametāḥ puruṣavyāghra nihataṃ śūram āhave | prakīrṇamūrdhajāḥ patnyo rudatyaḥ paryupāsate ||

Translation

毗舍摩波耶那说：“噫，众人之虎！诸位妻子聚拢到那战死的英雄身旁，披头散发，贴地而坐，哀哭不止。”此景揭露战争的人间代价：勇者一倒，随之而来的便是与他以责任与爱相系之人的悲恸与脆弱。

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Word by Word

• समेताः: having come together, assembled
• समेताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समेत (सम् + इ + क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• पुरुषव्याघ्र: O tiger among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष-व्याघ्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• निहतम्: slain
• निहतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निहत (नि + हन् + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शूरम्: hero, brave man
• शूरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• प्रकीर्णमूर्धजाः: with dishevelled hair
• प्रकीर्णमूर्धजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकीर्ण-मूर्धज
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• पत्न्यः: wives
• पत्न्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• रुदत्यः: weeping
• रुदत्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुदत् (रुद् + शतृ)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• पर्युपासते: sit around, attend upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + उप + आस्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• पुरुषसिंह: O lion among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष-सिंह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• puruṣavyāghra (addressed listener)
• the slain hero (unnamed)
• wives of the slain warrior
• battlefield (raṇabhūmi/āhava)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical and human aftermath of warfare: even heroic death leaves behind intense suffering for dependents, especially wives, highlighting compassion and the tragic cost that follows violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

After a warrior has been killed in battle, his wives gather around his body on the battlefield, their hair loosened in mourning, and they sit near him crying.