Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऑपन-माज बछ। अऑि-छऋायज पज्चदशो< ध्याय: गान्धारीसहित धृतराष्ट्रका वनको प्रस्थान वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः प्रभाते राजा स धृतराष्ट्रो<म्बिकासुत: । आहुय पाण्डवान्‌ वीरान्‌ वनवासे कृतक्षण:

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | tataḥ prabhāte rājā sa dhṛtarāṣṭro ’mbikāsutaḥ | āhūya pāṇḍavān vīrān vanavāse kṛtakṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then, at daybreak, King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the son of Ambikā, having summoned the heroic Pāṇḍavas, resolved upon departing for life in the forest.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaishampayana

उवाचsaid

ततःthen, thereafter

प्रभातेat dawn

राजाthe king

सःhe

धृतराष्ट्रःDhritarashtra

अम्बिकासुतःson of Ambika

आहूयhaving summoned

पाण्डवान्the Pandavas

वीरान्heroic

वनवासेin forest-dwelling / in exile in the forest

कृतक्षणःwho had made the moment (ready); having prepared (for departure)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Ambikā

Pāṇḍavas

forest (vana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic movement from worldly authority to renunciation: an aged ruler, burdened by past choices, turns toward forest-life as a form of withdrawal, discipline, and moral reckoning.

What is happening in the narrative?

At dawn Dhṛtarāṣṭra summons the Pāṇḍavas and prepares to leave for the forest, initiating the episode of the elders’ departure from the court and the beginning of their austere life away from royal comforts.