Shloka 17
Nārada’s Exempla of Tapas and Assurance to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (नारदोपदेशः—तपःसिद्ध्युदाहरणम्)
मातरं चाविदूरस्थां शिष्यवत् प्रणतां स्थिताम् । कुन्तीं ददर्श धर्मात्मा शिष्टाचारसमन्विताम्
mātaraṃ cāvidūrasthāṃ śiṣyavat praṇatāṃ sthitām | kuntīṃ dadarśa dharmātmā śiṣṭācārasamanvitām ||
Da erblickte der Rechtschaffene seine Mutter Kuntī, nicht fern stehend—wie eine Schülerin tief verneigt, gefasst und demütig, die Zucht rechten Anstands verkörpernd. In der Nähe saß Dhṛtarāṣṭra, nachdem er seine täglichen Riten vollzogen hatte, ruhig beisammen mit Gāndhārī.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights śiṣṭācāra (cultured, ethical conduct) expressed through humility and reverence: even a royal mother like Kuntī stands with the modesty of a disciple, showing that dharma is upheld through disciplined behavior toward elders and in solemn circumstances.
In the forest-ascetic setting of the Āśramavāsika episode, the narrator describes the scene: Dhṛtarāṣṭra has finished his daily observances and sits peacefully with Gāndhārī, while Kuntī stands nearby in a respectful, bowed posture; the dharmic observer (contextually, a principal figure arriving there) notices her demeanor.