Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

कृताहारं कृताहारा: सर्वे ते विदुरादय: । पाण्डवाश्व कुरुश्रेष्ठमुपातिष्ठन्त तं नूपम्‌

Transliteration

kṛtāhāraṁ kṛtāhārāḥ sarve te vidurādayaḥ | pāṇḍavāś ca kuruśreṣṭham upātiṣṭhanta taṁ nṛpam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Having finished their meal, all of them—beginning with Vidura—together with the Pāṇḍavas, attended upon that king, the foremost of the Kurus.

Word by Word

कृताहारम्having taken food / fed

कृताहाराःhaving taken food

सर्वेall

तेthey

विदुरादयःVidura and others

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

चand

कुरुश्रेष्ठम्the best of the Kurus

उपातिष्ठन्तthey attended / waited upon

तम्him

नृपम्the king

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vidura

Pāṇḍavas

Kuruśreṣṭha (foremost of the Kurus)

nṛpa (the king)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic discipline and humility: after completing basic needs (food), the righteous course is respectful attendance and service to elders and rightful authority, reflecting self-restraint and social-ethical order even in austere circumstances.

What is happening in the narrative?

After eating, Vidura and the others, along with the Pāṇḍavas, go to attend upon the Kuru king—standing by him in service and respect—indicating a formal, dutiful gathering around the senior royal figure during the forest-dwelling phase.