Shloka 53

धृतराष्ट्र–दुर्योधन संवादः

Vāraṇāvata-vivāsana-nīti: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana’s Policy Dialogue

Devanagari script

ततः स व्रतिभि: शिष्यैस्तपोयुक्तैर्महातपा: । वृत: प्रायान्महाबाहुर्महेन्द्रं पर्वतोत्तमम्‌,फिर ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतका पालन करनेवाले तपस्वी शिष्योंसे घिरे हुए महातपस्वी महाबाहु द्रोण परम उत्तम महेन्द्र पर्वतपर गये

Transliteration

tataḥ sa vratibhiḥ śiṣyais tapoyuktair mahātapāḥ | vṛtaḥ prāyān mahābāhur mahendraṃ parvatottamam ||

Translation

قال فَيْشَمْبايَنَة: ثم إن ذلك الزاهد العظيم—دْرونا عظيمَ الساعد—وقد أحاط به تلاميذ منضبطون مواظبون على التقشّف وحافظون لنذر البراهمتشريا، انطلق إلى جبل ماهيندرا، أكرمِ الجبال وأفضلِها.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

सःhe

व्रतिभिःby/with vow-observing (ascetics)

शिष्यैःby/with disciples

तपोयुक्तैःendowed with austerity

महातपाःthe great ascetic

वृतःsurrounded

प्रायात्went forth, departed

महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed one

महेन्द्रम्to Mahendra (mountain/peak named Mahendra)

पर्वतोत्तमम्the best of mountains

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

disciples (śiṣyāḥ)

Mahendra mountain (Mahendra-parvata)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharmic discipline: vows (vrata), austerity (tapas), and the teacher–disciple community. Ethical strength is shown as arising from self-restraint and committed study, which enable purposeful action and higher pursuits.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator states that the great ascetic, accompanied by vow-keeping, austerity-practicing disciples, departs and goes to Mahendra—described as an excellent mountain—marking a transition to an episode connected with that sacred/remote location.