Shloka 14

Draupadī’s Identification of the Pāṇḍavas and the Onset of the Chariot Engagement (द्रौपदी-पाण्डव-परिचयः)

Devanagari script

गते भीष्मे महाराज धार॑राष्ट्रो जनेश्वर: । पुनरागम्य तं देशममन्त्रयत मन्कत्रिभि:,महाराज! भीष्मके चले जानेपर राजा दुर्योधन फिर उसी स्थानपर लौट आया और अपने मन्त्रियोंके साथ गुप्त मन्त्रणा करने लगा--

Transliteration

gate bhīṣme mahārāja dhārtarāṣṭro janeśvaraḥ | punar āgamya taṃ deśam amantrayata mantribhiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Als Bhīṣma fortgegangen war, o großer König, kehrte der Sohn Dhṛtarāṣṭras, der Herr der Menschen (Duryodhana), an jenen Ort zurück und begann, im Geheimen mit seinen Ministern zu beraten.

Word by Word

गतेwhen (he) had gone

भीष्मेin/when Bhishma (had gone)

महाराजःthe great king

धृतराष्ट्रःDhritarashtra

जनेश्वरःlord of people

पुनःagain

आगम्यhaving come/returned

तम्that

देशम्place/region

अमन्त्रयत्consulted/deliberated

मन्त्रिभिःwith ministers

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīṣma

Dhārtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana)

ministers (mantrin)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how leadership choices pivot on counsel: after a revered elder withdraws, the ruler turns to ministerial strategy—implying that political action, especially when secretive, carries ethical weight and can steer events toward dharma or adharma depending on intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīṣma leaves, Duryodhana (referred to by the patronymic Dhārtarāṣṭra) returns to the same place and begins confidential consultations with his ministers, indicating planning and decision-making in the wake of Bhīṣma’s departure.