Shloka 20

धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनप्रस्थानम् — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Departure for Forest Life

Devanagari script

स्त्र्यध्यक्षांक्षाब्रवीद्‌ राजा यानानि विविधानि मे | सज्जीक्रियन्तां सर्वाणि शिबिकाशक्ष सहस्रश:,इसके बाद राजाने रनिवासके अध्यक्षोंको आज्ञा दी--'तुम सब लोग हमारे लिये भाँति- भाँतिके वाहन और पालकियोंको हजारोंकी संख्यामें तैयार करो

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | stryadhyakṣān kṣābravīd rājā yānāni vividhāni me | sajjīkriyantāṁ sarvāṇi śibikāś ca sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Darauf wandte sich der König an die Vorsteher der Frauengemächer und befahl: „Man mache mir alle Arten von Beförderungsmitteln bereit—Fahrzeuge verschiedener Art und Sänften zu Tausenden.“

Word by Word

स्त्री-अध्यक्षान्the superintendents of the women's quarters

आहsaid

अब्रवीत्spoke

राजाthe king

यानानिvehicles

विविधानिvarious, diverse

मेof/for me, my

सज्जी-क्रियन्ताम्let (them) be made ready / be prepared

सर्वाणिall

शिबिकाःpalanquins

चand

सहस्रशःby thousands; in thousands

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

the king (rājā)

superintendents of the women’s quarters (strī-adhyakṣa)

vehicles (yāna)

palanquins (śibikā)

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?

Even in moments of personal transition, a ruler is expected to act with order, foresight, and propriety—ensuring that necessary arrangements are made without confusion, reflecting disciplined governance aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the king issues instructions to the officials in charge of the inner quarters to prepare many kinds of conveyances and large numbers of palanquins, indicating a major movement or departure requiring extensive logistical preparation.