Shloka 3
Āśramāgamanam — The Pāṇḍavas Arrive at Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Hermitage
गान्धार्या सह नार्यस्तु सहिता: समुपाविशन् । पौरजानपदश्चापि जन: सर्वो यथावय:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
gāndhāryā saha nāryas tu sahitāḥ samupāviśan | paurajānapadāś cāpi janaḥ sarvo yathāvayaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Together with Gāndhārī, the women sat down in a gathered company. The townspeople and the folk from the countryside too—people of every age—also took their seats in due order. The scene underscores communal participation and respectful decorum as society collectively attends to the elders and the unfolding duties of the final life-stage.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic decorum: collective conduct marked by orderliness and respect—people assemble and sit according to age, reflecting social discipline and reverence in moments involving elders and life-stage transitions.
Gāndhārī arrives with the women, and the wider public—both townspeople and villagers—gathers and takes seats in an orderly, age-based arrangement, indicating a formal communal attendance at the ongoing events of the Āśramavāsika episode.