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Shloka 20

दुर्योधनस्य प्रायोपवेशः — शकुनिसान्त्वनम् तथा कृत्याह्वानम्

Duryodhana’s Fast: Śakuni’s Consolation and the Summoning of a Kṛtyā

उचितं हि सदा गन्तुं घोषयात्रां विशाम्पते | एवं च त्वां पिता राजन्‌ समनुज्ञातुमहति,“राजन्‌! अपनी गौओंको देखनेके लिये यात्रा करना सदा उचित ही है; ऐसा बहाना लेनेपर पिताजी तुम्हें अवश्य वहाँ जानेकी आज्ञा दे सकते हैं!

ucitaṃ hi sadā gantuṃ ghoṣayātrāṃ viśāmpate | evaṃ ca tvāṃ pitā rājan samanujñātum arhati ||

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O Herr des Volkes, es ist stets angemessen, eine ghoṣayātrā zu unternehmen, eine Reise zu den Hirtenlagern, um die Herden zu besichtigen. Und unter diesem Vorwand, o König, kann dein Vater dir mit Recht die Erlaubnis geben, dorthin zu gehen.“

उचितम्proper, fitting
उचितम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootउचित (√वच् + क्त)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
हिindeed, for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
सदाalways
सदा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा
गन्तुम्to go
गन्तुम्:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootगम्
FormInfinitive (tumun)
घोष-यात्राम्a journey to the cattle-station (goshayatra)
घोष-यात्राम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootघोष + यात्रा
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
विशाम्of the people/subjects
विशाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootविश्
FormFeminine, Genitive, Plural
पतेO lord
पते:
TypeNoun
Rootपति
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
एवम्thus, in this way
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
त्वाम्you
त्वाम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormAccusative, Singular
पिताfather
पिता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
समनुज्ञातुम्to permit, to give leave
समनुज्ञातुम्:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-अनु-√ज्ञा
FormInfinitive (tumun)
अर्हतिis able/ought, deserves
अर्हति:
TypeVerb
Rootअर्ह्
FormPresent, Indicative, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
A
a king addressed as Viśāmpati (unnamed here)
T
the king's father
G
ghoṣa (cowherd settlement)
C
cattle/herds (implied by ghoṣa)

Educational Q&A

The verse frames a practical, socially acceptable reason—inspecting the cattle at a ghoṣa—as a dharmically ‘proper’ pretext by which a prince/king may seek legitimate permission from his father, showing how duty and prudence can be aligned with accepted norms.

Vaiśampāyana advises that a visit to the cowherd settlement is inherently appropriate and can be presented as the stated purpose of travel; therefore the addressee’s father, the king, can reasonably authorize the journey.