Shloka 1

धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement

Devanagari script

::ज बछ। अकाल पजञठ्चमो< ध्याय: धृतराष्ट्रके द्वारा युधिष्ठिरको राजनीतिका उपदेश वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो राज्ञाभ्यनुज्ञातो धृतराष्ट्र: प्रतापवान्‌ । ययौ स्वभवन राजा गान्धार्यानुगतस्तदा,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--तदनन्तर जनमेजय! राजा युधिष्ठिरकी अनुमति पाकर प्रतापी राजा धृतराष्ट्र गान्धारीके साथ अपने भवनमें गये

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | tato rājñābhyanujñāto dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ pratāpavān | yayau svabhavanaṃ rājā gāndhāryānugatas tadā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then, having received the king’s permission, the mighty Dhṛtarāṣṭra departed for his own residence, accompanied at that time by Gāndhārī.

Word by Word

• {'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'rājñā': 'by the king (instrumental

• here, Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'abhyanujñātaḥ': 'having been permitted, granted leave', 'dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ': 'Dhṛtarāṣṭra (the Kuru elder king)', 'pratāpavān': 'powerful, illustrious, of great majesty', 'yayau': 'went, departed', 'svabhavanam': 'to his own house/residence', 'rājā': 'the king (here, Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'gāndhāryā': 'with Gāndhārī (instrumental implied in compound)', 'anugataḥ': 'followed by, accompanied by', 'tadā': 'at that time'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Gāndhārī
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even after political upheaval, dharma is maintained through proper permission, respect for rightful authority, and dignified withdrawal; Gāndhārī’s accompaniment highlights steadfast spousal duty amid suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

After receiving Yudhiṣṭhira’s consent, Dhṛtarāṣṭra leaves the royal assembly and goes back to his own quarters, with Gāndhārī accompanying him—setting the stage for his later movement toward an āśrama-based life.