Shloka 13
Hiḍimbā’s Petition, Conditional Union with Bhīma, and the Birth-Naming of Ghaṭotkaca (आदि पर्व, अध्याय १४३)
कृपमाचार्यपुत्रं च भूरिश्रवसमेव च । मान्यानन्यानमात्यांश्र ब्राह्मणांश्न तपोधनान्,तदनन्तर युधिष्ठिरने शंतनुनन्दन भीष्म, परम बुद्धिमान् विदुर, द्रोण, बाह्विक, कुरुवंशी सोमदत्त, कृपाचार्य, अश्वत्थामा, भूरिश्रवा, अन्यान्य माननीय मन्त्रियों, तपस्वी ब्राह्मणों, पुरोहितों, पुरवासियों तथा यशस्विनी गान्धारीदेवीसे मिलकर धीरे-धीरे दीनभावसे इस प्रकार कहा--
vaiśampāyana uvāca | kṛpam ācārya-putraṃ ca bhūriśravasam eva ca | mānyān anyān amātyāṃś ca brāhmaṇāṃś ca tapodhanān | tad-anantaraṃ yudhiṣṭhireṇa śaṃtanunandano bhīṣmaḥ paramabuddhimān viduraḥ droṇaḥ bāhvikaḥ kuruvaṃśī somadattaḥ kṛpācāryaḥ aśvatthāmā bhūriśravāḥ anye ca mānyā mantriṇaḥ tapasyā brāhmaṇāḥ purohitāḥ pauravāsinaś ca yaśasvinīṃ gāndhārī-devīm ca sametya śanaiḥ śanaiḥ dīna-bhāvena evaṃ uvāca ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then Yudhiṣṭhira approached and met Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā the preceptor’s son, and Bhūriśravas, along with other respected ministers and ascetic brāhmaṇas rich in austerity. After that, he also met Bhīṣma, son of Śāntanu, the supremely wise Vidura, Droṇa, Bāhlīka, Somadatta of the Kuru line, Kṛpācārya, and others worthy of honor, as well as household priests, townspeople, and the illustrious queen Gāndhārī; and, having greeted them, he spoke slowly with a subdued, humble bearing.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma expressed as humility and proper conduct toward elders, teachers, counselors, and the spiritually accomplished. Yudhiṣṭhira’s slow, subdued approach signals ethical self-restraint and recognition that authority must be tempered by reverence, accountability, and compassion.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira meets and pays respect to key Kuru elders and leaders—Bhīṣma, Vidura, Droṇa, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā, Bhūriśravas, Somadatta, Bāhlīka—along with ministers, Brahmins, priests, citizens, and Queen Gāndhārī, and then speaks to them in a humble, restrained manner.