Shloka 21
कुन्ती–व्याससंवादः
Kuntī–Vyāsa Dialogue on Durvāsā’s Boon and Karṇa’s Birth
ततः स पृथिवीपालो दत्त्वा श्राद्धान्यनेकश: । प्रविवेश पुरं राजा नगरं वारणाह्नयम्,इस प्रकार अनेक बार श्राद्धके दान देकर पृथ्वीपाल राजा युधिष्ठिरने हस्तिनापुर नामक नगरमें प्रवेश किया
tataḥ sa pṛthivīpālo dattvā śrāddhāny anekaśaḥ | praviveśa puraṃ rājā nagaraṃ vāraṇāhnavam ||
Then that protector of the earth—the king—having repeatedly performed and bestowed many śrāddha offerings, entered the city, the royal capital known as Vāraṇāhnavam (Hastināpura). The verse underscores the ethical priority of honoring the departed through prescribed rites even amid the burdens of kingship.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteous kingship is not only governance but also fidelity to dharma: honoring the departed through śrāddha and giving. The verse frames remembrance, ritual responsibility, and generosity as ethical obligations that sustain social and spiritual order.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that King Yudhiṣṭhira, after repeatedly performing and giving śrāddha offerings, proceeds to enter the royal city—Hastināpura, here called Vāraṇāhnavam.