Shloka 403

पाण्डोः श्राद्धं, सत्यवत्याः वनगमनम्, बाल्यस्पर्धा च

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

Devanagari script

प्रतस्थे सर्वमुत्सृूज्य सभार्य: कुरुनन्दन: । “तुमलोग हस्तिनापुरमें जाकर कह देना कि कुरुनन्दन राजा पाण्डु अर्थ, काम, विषयसुख और स्त्रीविषयक रति आदि सब कुछ छोड़कर अपनी पत्नियोंके साथ वानप्रस्थ हो गये हैं!

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | pratasthē sarvam utsṛjya sabhāryaḥ kurunandanaḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Nachdem er alles entsagt hatte, brach der Kuruprinz mit seinen Gemahlinnen auf. Er ließ nach Hastināpura melden, König Pāṇḍu habe—Reichtum, Begehren, Sinnengenüsse und die Bindung an Frauen aufgebend—zusammen mit seinen Gattinnen die Lebensstufe des Waldbewohners (vānaprastha) betreten. Die Stelle rahmt Pāṇḍus Aufbruch als ethische Wende: vom königlichen Genuss hin zu Zügelung und Dharma durch Entsagung.

Word by Word

• प्रतस्थे: set out, departed
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु √स्था)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद) / perfect, 3, singular

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्व-)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• उत्सृज्य: having abandoned, having given up
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-√सृज्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), active, prior action to main verb

• स-भार्यः: together with (his) wife/wives
• स-भार्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भार्या (भार्या-)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• कुरु-नन्दनः: the delight of the Kurus (Pāṇḍu)
• कुरु-नन्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुनन्दन (कुरु + नन्दन)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kurunandana (epithet)
• King Pāṇḍu
• Hastināpura
• wives/consorts of Pāṇḍu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical ideal of mastering desire: even a king may relinquish artha (wealth/power) and kāma (pleasure) when dharma calls for restraint and a shift toward a disciplined life (vānaprastha).

What is happening in the narrative?

Pāṇḍu departs from royal life with his wives and sends word to Hastināpura that he has renounced worldly enjoyments and entered the forest-dweller stage, signaling a major transition in the Kuru royal household.