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11. Stri Parva

The Book of the Women · 27 adhyayas

The field after the war, where neither victory nor defeat means anything any more. Gandhari, Kunti and thousands of women search for their dead. Gandhari lifts her blindfold and delivers the most sorrowful lament in the epic, cursing Krishna that his clan will destroy itself as hers has. Vidura and Vyasa hold up a grief-stricken Yudhishthira.

Key Episodes

  • Gandhari's lament on the battlefield
  • Gandhari's curse on Krishna — that the Yadavas will perish too
  • Kunti finally revealing the truth about Karna
  • Yudhishthira's remorse — 'what kind of victory is this'
  • The last rites for the dead
  • Vidura and Vyasa steadying the grieving family