Mahabharata 11.25.23 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 25, Shloka 23

स्त्री-विलापः — गान्धार्याः रणभूमिदर्शनं शापवचनं च

Battlefield Lament and Gāndhārī’s Curse

Devanagari script

वितुद्यमानं विहगैस्तं भार्या: पर्युपासिता: । चेदिराजं हृषीकेश हतं सबलबान्धवम्‌,हृषीकेश! सेना और बन्धुओंसहित मारे गये इस चेदिराजको पक्षी चोंच मार रहे हैं और उसकी स्त्रियाँ उसे चारों ओरसे घेरकर बैठी हैं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

vitudyamānaṃ vihagais taṃ bhāryāḥ paryupāsitāḥ |

cedirājaṃ hṛṣīkeśa hataṃ sabalabāndhavam ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“群鸟啄食其身时，他的妻子们环坐四周。噢，赫里希凯沙，车提王与其军旅与亲族一同被杀，横卧其地；而妇人们在悲恸中守着他。”

Word by Word

• वितुद्यमानम्: being pecked/struck
• वितुद्यमानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-तुद् (धातु) → वितुद्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विहगैः: by birds
• विहगैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तम्: him/that one
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भार्याः: wives
• भार्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• पर्युपासिताः: sat around/attended (surrounded)
• पर्युपासिताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-उप-आस् (धातु) → पर्युपासित (कृदन्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural, Passive (past participle)

• चेदिराजम्: the king of Cedi
• चेदिराजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेदिराज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हृषीकेश: O Hrishikesha (Krishna)
• हृषीकेश: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृषीकेश
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• हतम्: slain
• हतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सबल: with (his) army
• सबल: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + बल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• बान्धवम्: with (his) kinsmen/relatives
• बान्धवम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa)
• Cedirāja (King of Cedi)
• bhāryāḥ (the king's wives)
• vihagāḥ (birds)
• bala (army)
• bāndhava (kinsmen/relatives)
• Cedi (kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and human cost of war: glory and power collapse into helplessness, and the deepest suffering is borne by those left behind. It implicitly urges reflection on dharma, restraint, and compassion in the wake of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a battlefield aftermath: the king of Cedi lies dead along with his army and relatives; birds peck at the corpse, while his wives sit surrounding him in mourning and vigil, addressing Kṛṣṇa as Hṛṣīkeśa.