Shloka 18

अध्याय ६ — युधिष्ठिरस्य वैराग्य-वाक्यं धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनगमनाभिलाषश्च

Chapter 6: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Renunciatory Appeal and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Resolve for the Forest

Devanagari script

तिष्ठेथा राजशार्दूल वैतसीं वृत्तिमास्थित: । यद्येनममभियायाच्च बलवान दुर्बल॑ नृप:

Transliteration

tiṣṭhethā rājaśārdūla vaitasīṃ vṛttim āsthitaḥ | yady enam abhiyāyāc ca balavān durbalo nṛpaḥ ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „Bleibe hier, Tiger unter den Königen, und nimm eine schilfgleiche Lebensweise an: demütig, biegsam und von einfachen Mitteln getragen. Denn ob ein Mächtiger oder ein schwacher König käme, ihn anzugreifen – er soll standhaft in diesem Weg der Zügelung verharren.“

Word by Word

तिष्ठेथाःyou should remain/stand

राजशार्दूलO tiger among kings

वैतसीम्reed-like (mode of life); living on reeds/bamboo (i.e., a simple forest livelihood)

वृत्तिम्livelihood, mode of subsistence

आस्थितःhaving adopted/undertaken

यदिif

एनम्him

माम्me

अभियायात्should come against/attack

चand

बलवान्strong, powerful

दुर्बलम्weak (one)

नृपःa king

Speaker

धघतयाट्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

rājaśārdūla (addressed person)

nṛpa (king)

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 commends a disciplined, simple, and flexible mode of living—‘reed-like’ in humility and endurance—so that one remains steady and ethically grounded even when confronted by threats from the strong or the weak.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Ashramavāsika context, Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks about remaining in an austere, forest-oriented way of life and maintaining composure and restraint, regardless of who might come forward in hostility.