Mahabharata 3.5.2 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 5, Shloka 2

विदुर-धृतराष्ट्रसंवादः

Vidura–Dhṛtarāṣṭra Dialogue on Rajadharma and Restitution

Devanagari script

सरस्वतीदृषद्धत्यौ यमुनां च निषेव्य ते । ययुर्वनेनैव वनं सततं पश्चिमां दिशम्‌

Transliteration

sarasvatīdṛṣadvatyau yamunāṃ ca niṣevya te | yayur vanenaiva vanaṃ satataṃ paścimāṃ diśam ||

Translation

Nachdem sie nacheinander die Flüsse Sarasvatī, Dṛṣadvatī und Yamunā aufgesucht hatten — von ihrem Wasser lebend und an ihren Ufern verweilend — zogen sie durch die Wälder, von einem Gehölz zum nächsten, und setzten ihren Weg unbeirrt nach Westen fort.

Word by Word

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī (river)
• सरस्वती: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दृषद्वत्यौ: the two (banks/streams) of Dṛṣadvatī / Dṛṣadvatī (dual form as in text)
• दृषद्वत्यौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृषद्वती
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Dual

• यमुनाम्: Yamunā (river)
• यमुनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• निषेव्य: having resorted to / having visited / having followed
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-सेव्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage as gerund)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ययुः: went
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• वनेन: through/along a forest
• वनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सततम्: continually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• पश्चिमाम्: western
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Sarasvatī (river)
• Dṛṣadvatī (river)
• Yamunā (river)
• western direction

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined movement and purposeful conduct: the travelers sustain themselves by legitimate means (resorting to rivers and forest paths) and proceed steadily toward their aim. It reflects a dharmic ideal of restraint and order even while wandering in hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

The group travels through successive forests, staying along and using the waters of the Sarasvatī, Dṛṣadvatī, and Yamunā rivers, and continues onward in a westward direction.