Shloka 40

पाण्डोः श्राद्धं, सत्यवत्याः वनगमनम्, बाल्यस्पर्धा च

Pāṇḍu’s Śrāddha, Satyavatī’s Withdrawal, and Childhood Rivalry

Devanagari script

गत्वा नागपुरं वाच्यं पाण्डु: प्रत्रजितो वनम्‌ । अर्थ काम॑ सुखं चैव रतिं च परमात्मिकाम्‌

Transliteration

gatvā nāgapuraṃ vācyaṃ pāṇḍuḥ pratrajito vanam | artha kāmaṃ sukhaṃ caiva ratiṃ ca paramātmikām ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Nachdem er zur Stadt der Nāgas gegangen und dort die Botschaft überbracht hatte, brach Pāṇḍu—vertrieben—in den Wald auf und ließ das Streben nach Reichtum und Begehren zurück, ebenso weltlichen Komfort und selbst die innigsten Freuden.

Word by Word

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), कर्तरि, —

• नागपुरम्: to the city of the Nāgas
• नागपुरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वाच्यम्: to be spoken / should be said
• वाच्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाच्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पाण्डुः: Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रत्रजितः: driven forth / impelled (to go)
• प्रत्रजितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-त्रज्/त्रस्? (धातु) → प्रत्रजित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वनम्: to the forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अर्थ: wealth / purpose
• अर्थ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• काम: desire / pleasure
• काम: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• रतिम्: delight / love
• रतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• परमात्मिकाम्: supremely spiritual / of the highest nature
• परमात्मिकाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमात्मिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Pāṇḍu
• Nāgapura
• vana (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical pivot from worldly aims (artha, kāma, sukha) to withdrawal and restraint: when circumstances compel, a ruler may have to relinquish even legitimate pleasures and accept the austerity of the forest, highlighting the fragility of enjoyment and the seriousness of moral consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that after going to Nāgapura and delivering what needed to be said there, Pāṇḍu—compelled to leave—sets out for forest life, abandoning wealth, desire, comfort, and intimate pleasures as he moves into exile/ascetic seclusion.