Shloka 8
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Procession, Encampment (Niveśa), and Auspicious Timing for Ritual Action
'सुहदोंकी भलाई चाहनेवाले महान् तपोवृद्ध महात्मा धर्मशील गुरु व्यासने
anubandhe ca kalyāṇaṃ yad vaco brahmavādinaḥ | iyaṃ hi vasudhā sarvā kṣīṇaratnā kurūdvahaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Recalling the counsel given from time to time by those great-souled ones—mighty through austerity and intent on their friends’ good—by the dharma-steady teacher Vyāsa, by Bhīṣma of wondrous valor, and by wise Govinda, I wish to carry out their command in full. O Pāṇḍavas of great understanding, the words of those exalted men are for the good of us all, in the future and in the present. The utterances of the Brahman-knowing sages are auspicious in their consequences; for this whole earth, O best of the Kurus, has been drained of its jewels—its finest treasures.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sage-counsel grounded in sacred insight is judged by its long-term consequences (anubandha): it yields kalyāṇa—welfare and auspicious outcomes. The verse also frames an ethical urgency: after great destruction, the world’s ‘jewels’ (precious resources and exemplary beings) are diminished, so rulers must act with heightened responsibility.
Vaiśampāyana, narrating to Janamejaya, underscores the authority and beneficence of the sages’ words and points to the depleted condition of the earth. The statement functions as a reflective transition in the post-war setting, preparing the listener for counsel and actions aimed at restoration and welfare.