SanskritIASTMeaning
स्त्री-पर्व करुण-उदयम्strī-parva karuṇa-udayamthe Stri-parva, filled with sorrow
वीर-पत्नीनां विलापः अतिकरुणःvīra-patnīnāṃ vilāpaḥ atikaruṇaḥthe most piteous lament of the heroes' wives
क्रोध-आवेशः प्रसादः च गान्धारी-धृतराष्ट्रयोःkrodha-āveśaḥ prasādaḥ ca gāndhārī-dhṛtarāṣṭrayoḥthe wrath and [then] the mercy of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra
तान् क्षत्रियान् शूरान् निहतान् रणे ददृशुःtān kṣatriyān śūrān nihatān raṇe dadṛśuḥthey saw those valiant kshatriyas fallen in battle
पुत्रान् भ्रातॄन् पितॄन् चputrān bhrātṝn pitṝn casons, brothers, and fathers
राजा महाप्राज्ञः सर्व-धर्म-भृतां वरःrājā mahāprājñaḥ sarva-dharma-bhṛtāṃ varaḥthe wise king (Yudhishthira), the best of the upholders of dharma
राज्ञां शरीराणि दाहयाम् आस शास्त्रतःrājñāṃ śarīrāṇi dāhayām āsa śāstrataḥordered the bodies of the kings burned according to the prescriptions
एकादशं पर्व अतिकरुणं महत्ekādaśaṃ parva atikaruṇaṃ mahatsuch is the eleventh parva, great and most sorrowful
सप्त-विंशतिः अध्यायाःsapta-viṃśatiḥ adhyāyāḥtwenty-seven chapters
सप्त-शतं पञ्च-सप्ततिः श्लोकाःsapta-śataṃ pañca-saptatiḥ ślokāḥseven hundred seventy-five verses
अतataunderlying form «ata», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
ऊर्ध्वम्ūrdhvamunderlying form «ūrdhvam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
इदंidaṃunderlying form «idaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
प्राहुःprāhuḥunderlying form «prāhuḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
स्त्रीपर्वstrīparvaunderlying form «strīparva», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
करुणोदयम्karuṇodayamunderlying form «karuṇodayam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
विलापोvilāpounderlying form «vilāpo», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
वीरपत्नीनांvīrapatnīnāṃunderlying form «vīrapatnīnāṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
यत्रातिकरुणःyatrātikaruṇaḥunderlying form «yatrātikaruṇaḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
स्मृतःsmṛtaḥunderlying form «smṛtaḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
क्रोधावेशःkrodhāveśaḥunderlying form «krodhāveśaḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
प्रसादश्prasādaśunderlying form «prasādaś», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
गान्धारीधृतराष्ट्रयोःgāndhārīdhṛtarāṣṭrayoḥunderlying form «gāndhārīdhṛtarāṣṭrayoḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
यत्रyatraunderlying form «yatra», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
क्षत्रियाञ्kṣatriyāñunderlying form «kṣatriyāñ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
दिष्टान्तान्diṣṭāntānunderlying form «diṣṭāntān», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
अनिवर्तिनःanivartinaḥunderlying form «anivartinaḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पितॄंश्pitṝṃśunderlying form «pitṝṃś», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चैवcaivaunderlying form «caiva», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
ददृशुर्dadṛśurunderlying form «dadṛśur», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
यत्रyatraunderlying form «yatra», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
सर्वधर्मभृतांsarvadharmabhṛtāṃunderlying form «sarvadharmabhṛtāṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तानिtāniunderlying form «tāni», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
एतद्etadunderlying form «etad», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
प्रोक्तंproktaṃunderlying form «proktaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पर्वातिकरुणंparvātikaruṇaṃunderlying form «parvātikaruṇaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
सप्तविंशतिर्saptaviṃśatirunderlying form «saptaviṃśatir», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पर्वण्य्parvaṇyunderlying form «parvaṇy», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
अस्मिन्न्asminnunderlying form «asminn», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
उदाहृताःudāhṛtāḥunderlying form «udāhṛtāḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
सप्तशतंsaptaśataṃunderlying form «saptaśataṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चात्रcātraunderlying form «cātra», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पञ्चसप्ततिर्pañcasaptatirunderlying form «pañcasaptatir», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
उच्यतेucyateunderlying form «ucyate», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
संख्ययाsaṃkhyayāunderlying form «saṃkhyayā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
भारताख्यानंbhāratākhyānaṃunderlying form «bhāratākhyānaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
कर्त्राkartrāunderlying form «kartrā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
ह्य्hyunderlying form «hy», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
अत्रatraunderlying form «atra», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
महात्मनाmahātmanāunderlying form «mahātmanā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
प्रणीतंpraṇītaṃunderlying form «praṇītaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
सज्जनमनोवैक्लव्याश्रुप्रवर्तकम्sajjanamanovaiklavyāśrupravartakamunderlying form «sajjanamanovaiklavyāśrupravartakam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
The Stri-parva is a sorrowful lament over the field of battle, where Gandhari mourns her hundred sons. In her wrath, first turned upon Yudhishthira and almost falling upon Krishna, and in the mercy that follows, a law of grief is revealed: even a righteous mother is blinded by attachment, yet wisdom and the mercy of the Lord soothe her. Krishna meekly accepts Gandhari's curse — that His own dynasty too will perish — for the Lord, free from karma, willingly bows before the love of a devotee, fulfilling even her word. The sight of the fallen heroes teaches the impermanence of all worldly things: yesterday's rulers are now lifeless bodies given to the fire. Thus the scripture calls us to renounce pride and attachment and to seek the eternal — refuge at the feet of the Lord, the one thing that is never reduced to ashes.