Shloka 4

धृतराष्ट्रस्य क्षमायाचनं तथा युधिष्ठिरे न्यासदानम् / Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Forgiveness and the Entrustment to Yudhiṣṭhira

Devanagari script

ततः स्त्रिय: कौरवपाण्डवानां याक्षापरा: कौरवराजवंश्या: । तासां नाद: प्रादुरासीत्‌ तदानीं वैचित्रवीर्ये नृपतौ प्रयाते

Transliteration

tataḥ striyaḥ kaurava-pāṇḍavānāṃ yākṣāparāḥ kaurava-rāja-vaṃśyāḥ | tāsāṃ nādaḥ prādurāsīt tadānīṃ vaicitryavīrye nṛpatau prayāte ||

Translation

Then the women of the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas—ladies of the royal Kuru line, overwhelmed by grief—raised a loud cry at that very moment, when King Vicitravīrya had departed (from life).

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

स्त्रियःwomen

कौरवपाण्डवानाम्of the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas

याक्षापराःintent on/engaged in lamentation (yakṣa/ākranda)

कौरवराजवंश्याःbelonging to the royal Kaurava lineage

तासाम्of them

नादःsound, cry

प्रादुरासीत्arose, became manifest

तदानीम्at that time

वैचित्रवीर्येwhen Vicitravīrya (i.e., the king of that line) [was concerned]

नृपतौin/when the king

प्रयातेhaving departed; when (he) had gone

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kauravas

Pāṇḍavas

Kuru royal lineage

King Vicitravīrya

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 underscores an ethical and existential truth central to the Mahābhārata: even royal power and lineage cannot prevent mortality, and the proper human response includes acknowledging grief while recognizing the inevitability of departure.

What is happening in the narrative?

As King Vicitravīrya passes away, the women of the Kuru house—connected to both Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas—are overwhelmed with sorrow and collectively break into loud lamentation.