Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

याजकाश्न यथोद्देशं द्विजा ये चानुयायिन: । विदुर आदि भी राजासे उतनी ही दूरपर सोये, जहाँसे उनकी बोली सुनायी दे सके। यज्ञ करानेवाले ब्राह्मण तथा राजाके साथ आये हुए अन्य द्विज यथायोग्य स्थानपर सोये ।।

Transliteration

yājakāś ca yathoddeśaṃ dvijā ye cānuyāyinaḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The officiating priests and the other twice-born men who had accompanied the king lay down to rest in their proper assigned places. The scene underscores ordered conduct and disciplined propriety: even in a forest-ashram setting, each person observes his role and station, maintaining decorum around the king and the sacred rite.

Word by Word

• याजकाः: sacrificial priests / officiants
• याजकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: याजक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यथा-उद्देशम्: according to the assigned place / as directed
• यथा-उद्देशम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्देश
• Form: true

• द्विजाः: Brahmins / twice-born
• द्विजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: true

• अनुयायिनः: followers / attendants
• अनुयायिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुयायिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्राधीत-द्विजमुख्याः: having foremost Brahmins who had recited/learned (the Veda)
• प्राधीत-द्विजमुख्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राधीतद्विजमुख्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्प्रज्वलित-पावका: with blazing fire / whose fire was fully kindled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्प्रज्वलितपावक
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• yājakāḥ (officiating priests)
• dvijāḥ (twice-born attendants)
• rājā (the king, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic order (yathoddeśam): people involved in sacred and royal contexts should act with discipline, respecting assigned roles and proper places, thereby sustaining harmony and ritual propriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

After accompanying the king in the forest-ashram setting, the officiating priests and other twice-born attendants settle down to rest in the places allotted to them, indicating an organized encampment around the royal and ritual presence.