Shloka 243
धृतराष्ट्रस्य सत्कारः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra Honored in the Post-war Court
किंकरा: पर्युपातिष्ठन् सर्वा: सुबलजां तथा । पुरुषप्रवर! कुन्ती
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: kiṅkarāḥ paryupātiṣṭhan sarvāḥ subalajāṃ tathā | puruṣapravara! kuntī, draupadī, yaśasvinī subhadrā, nāgakanyā ulūpī, devī citrāṅgadā, dhṛṣṭaketukī bahin tathā jarāsandhakī putrī—ye tathā kurukulakī dvitīyā bahuśaḥ striyaḥ dāsīvat subalaputrīṃ gāndhārīṃ sevāyāṃ lagāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “All those women stood around and attended upon the daughter of Subala as her handmaids. O best of men—Kuntī, Draupadī, the illustrious Subhadrā, the Nāga-princess Ulūpī, the noble Citrāṅgadā, the sister of Dhṛṣṭaketu, and the daughter of Jarāsandha—along with many other women of the Kuru line—remained engaged in serving Gāndhārī, the wife of Subala’s son.” The passage underscores a post-war ethic of humility and shared mourning: former queens and high-born women accept service as a form of dharma, solidarity, and reverence toward the elder matriarch who has endured immense loss.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma expressed as humble service and respect toward elders in a time of collective loss. Even royal women accept a servant-like role to honor Gāndhārī’s seniority and suffering, modeling ethical solidarity after the devastation of war.
In the opening of Āśramavāsika Parva, the widowed and bereaved women of the Kuru world gather around Gāndhārī and attend upon her. The text lists prominent figures—Kuntī, Draupadī, Subhadrā, Ulūpī, Citrāṅgadā, and others—depicting a household/āśrama setting where service replaces royal privilege.