Shloka 9

Vidurovācā: Śreyas, Mantra, and Conciliation toward the Pāṇḍavas (विदुरोवाच—श्रेयः-मन्त्र-समाधानम्)

Devanagari script

ततस्तु ते कौरवराजपुत्रा विभूषिता: कुण्डलिनो युवान: । महार्हवस्त्राम्बरचन्दनो क्षिता: कृताभिषेका: कृतमड्लक्रिया:,इधर युवावस्थासे सम्पन्न कौरव-राजकुमार पाण्डव वस्त्राभूषणोंसे विभूषित और कुण्डलोंसे अलंकृत हो अभिषेक और मंगलाचार करके बहुमूल्य कपड़ों एवं केसर, चन्दनसे सुशोभित हुए

Transliteration

tatastu te kauravarājaputrā vibhūṣitāḥ kuṇḍalino yuvānaḥ | mahārhavastrāmbaracandanokṣitāḥ kṛtābhiṣekāḥ kṛtamaṅgalakriyāḥ ||

Translation

Darauf wurden jene jugendlichen Fürsten aus dem Geschlecht des Kuru-Königs, mit Schmuck geziert und mit Ohrringen versehen, feierlich geweiht. Nachdem sie die glückverheißenden Riten vollzogen hatten, erschienen sie in strahlender Pracht—gekleidet in kostbare Gewänder und gesalbt mit Safran und Sandel—würdevoll bereit für die öffentlichen und heiligen Pflichten, die vor ihnen lagen.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

तुbut/indeed (emphasis)

तेthey (those)

कौरव-राज-पुत्राःsons of the Kuru king (royal princes)

विभूषिताःadorned, decorated

कुण्डलिनःwearing earrings

युवानःyoung men

महार्ह-वस्त्र-अम्बर-चन्दन-उक्षिताःsprinkled/anointed with costly garments, clothing, and sandal (paste)

कृत-अभिषेकाःhaving performed the consecration (abhisheka)

कृत-मङ्गल-क्रियाःhaving performed auspicious rites

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kaurava princes (Kuru royal princes)

earrings (kuṇḍala)

costly garments (mahārha-vastra)

saffron (implied by kesara in the Hindi gloss)

sandalwood (candana)

abhiṣeka (consecration rite)

maṅgala-kriyā (auspicious rites)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic ideal that public authority and life-transitions should be sanctified through proper rites and disciplined preparation—outer adornment accompanying inner readiness and social responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the Kuru princes in their youth being formally prepared: they are ornamented, anointed with fragrant substances like sandalwood (and saffron per the traditional gloss), and undergo consecration and auspicious ceremonies, marking a significant public-ritual moment.