Shloka 20

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Śrāddha Request and Bhīma’s Objection (Āśramavāsika-parva, Adhyāya 17)

Devanagari script

गान्धार्या:संनिकर्षे तु निषसाद कुशे सुखम्‌

Transliteration

gāndhāryāḥ saṃnikarṣe tu niṣasāda kuśe sukham

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then, close beside Gāndhārī, he sat down at ease upon a bed of kuśa grass—an image of austere simplicity and respectful nearness in the forest-dwelling life.

Word by Word

• गान्धार्याः: of Gandhari
• गान्धार्याः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धारी
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• संनिकर्षे: in the proximity/nearby
• संनिकर्षे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिकर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• निषसाद: sat down
• निषसाद: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कुशे: on/among kusa grass
• कुशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सुखम्: comfortably/with ease
• सुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Gāndhārī
• kuśa grass

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic tone of āśrama-life: simplicity (a kuśa seat instead of luxury) and respectful closeness to elders, suggesting that dignity and composure can be maintained even amid grief and withdrawal from worldly power.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Ashramavāsika setting, the narrator describes someone (contextually, a principal elder in the forest-retirement episode) taking a seat on kuśa grass near Gāndhārī, indicating a quiet, austere moment of settling together in the hermitage environment.