Shloka 163

Āśvamedhika-parva, Adhyāya 14

Consolation of Yudhiṣṭhira; Rites and Gifts; Return to Hastināpura

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट्र पुरस्कृत्य विवेश गजसाह्वयम्‌ । तत्पश्चात्‌ ब्राह्मणोंको बहुत-सा धन देकर पाण्डवशिरोमणि युधिष्ठिरने धृतराष्ट्रको आगे करके हस्तिनापुरमें प्रवेश किया

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ puraskṛtya viveśa gajasāhvayam | tatpaścāt brāhmaṇebhyo bahu-sā dhanaṃ dattvā pāṇḍavaśiromaṇiḥ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ dhṛtarāṣṭram agre kṛtvā hastināpuraṃ praviśat |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Placing Dhṛtarāṣṭra at the forefront, he entered Gajasāhvaya (Hastināpura). Thereafter, having bestowed abundant wealth upon the brāhmaṇas, Yudhiṣṭhira—the foremost among the Pāṇḍavas—entered Hastināpura with Dhṛtarāṣṭra leading the way.

Word by Word

• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Dhṛtarāṣṭra (as object)
• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुरस्कृत्य: having placed (him) in front
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुरस् + कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), having placed in front / having put forward

• विवेश: entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गजसाह्वयम्: Gajasāhvaya (Hastināpura)
• गजसाह्वयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजसाह्वय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)
• धृतराष्ट्र (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• युधिष्ठिर (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇas)
• गजसाह्वय / हस्तिनापुर (Gajasāhvaya / Hastināpura)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even after gaining sovereignty, a righteous king upholds dharma by honoring elders with precedence and by supporting the learned through generous dāna; power is shown through humility and responsibility, not triumphalism.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira enters Hastināpura, deliberately placing Dhṛtarāṣṭra in front as a mark of respect, and he distributes substantial wealth to brāhmaṇas before/alongside this entry, signaling a dharmic restoration of order after the conflict.