Shloka 22

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Śrāddha Request and Bhīma’s Objection (Āśramavāsika-parva, Adhyāya 17)

Devanagari script

याजकाश्न यथोद्देशं द्विजा ये चानुयायिन: । विदुर आदि भी राजासे उतनी ही दूरपर सोये, जहाँसे उनकी बोली सुनायी दे सके। यज्ञ करानेवाले ब्राह्मण तथा राजाके साथ आये हुए अन्य द्विज यथायोग्य स्थानपर सोये ।। २१ * प्राधीतद्विजमुख्या सा सम्प्रज्वलितपावका

Transliteration

yājakāś ca yathoddeśaṃ dvijā ye cānuyāyinaḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Die Opferpriester und die übrigen »Zweimalgeborenen«, die den König begleitet hatten, legten sich an den ihnen zugewiesenen, angemessenen Plätzen zur Ruhe. Die Szene betont geordnete Sitte und strenge Schicklichkeit: selbst im Wald-Āśrama wahrt jeder seine Aufgabe und seinen Rang und hält das rechte Maß an Anstand um den König und das heilige Opfer.

Word by Word

याजकाःsacrificial priests / officiants

यथा-उद्देशम्according to the assigned place / as directed

द्विजाःBrahmins / twice-born

येwho

चand

अनुयायिनःfollowers / attendants

प्राधीत-द्विजमुख्याःhaving foremost Brahmins who had recited/learned (the Veda)

साthat (she/it)

सम्प्रज्वलित-पावकाwith blazing fire / whose fire was fully kindled

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

yājakāḥ (officiating priests)

dvijāḥ (twice-born attendants)

rājā (the king, implied by context)

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 dharmic order (yathoddeśam): people involved in sacred and royal contexts should act with discipline, respecting assigned roles and proper places, thereby sustaining harmony and ritual propriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

After accompanying the king in the forest-ashram setting, the officiating priests and other twice-born attendants settle down to rest in the places allotted to them, indicating an organized encampment around the royal and ritual presence.