Shloka 5

युधिष्ठिरस्य राज्याभिषेकः | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Royal Consecration

Devanagari script

सुधर्मा विदुरो धौम्यो धृतराष्ट्रश्न कौरव: । निषेदुर्ज्वलनाकारेष्वासनेषु पृथक्‌ पृथक्‌,इसी प्रकार सुधर्मा, विदुर, धौम्य और कुरुराज धृतराष्ट्र अग्निके समान तेजस्वी पृथक्‌- पृथक्‌ सिंहासनोंपर विराजमान हुए

Transliteration

sudharmā viduro dhaumyo dhṛtarāṣṭraś ca kauravaḥ | niṣedur jvalanākāreṣv āsaneṣu pṛthak pṛthak ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Sudharmā, Vidura, Dhaumya und Dhṛtarāṣṭra aus dem Kuru-Geschlecht setzten sich getrennt, ein jeder auf einen thronartigen Sitz, der wie Feuer strahlte.

Word by Word

सुधर्माSudharmā (name)

विदुरःVidura

धौम्यःDhaumya

धृतराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra

कौरवःthe Kaurava (descendant of Kuru)

निषेदुःsat down / took their seats

ज्वलनाकारेषुon (seats) having the form/appearance of fire; blazing-like

आसनेषुon seats/thrones

पृथक्separately

पृथक्each separately (repetition for emphasis)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sudharmā

Vidura

Dhaumya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Kuru (dynasty)

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 underscores the ethics of public deliberation: orderly seating and visible dignity symbolize preparedness for dharmic counsel, where authority and wisdom (king, minister, priest) must be properly situated before guidance is given.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Sudharmā, Vidura, Dhaumya, and King Dhṛtarāṣṭra take their respective seats, each separately, on radiant seats—marking the commencement of a formal gathering in the Śānti Parva context of instruction and counsel.