Shloka 6

Āśvamedha-dīkṣā-nirdeśaḥ — Scheduling the Initiation and Assigning Protection for the Horse

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट्रादनु च ते गान्धारी सुबलात्मजाम्‌

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭrād anu ca te gāndhārī subalātmajām

Translation

And after Dhṛtarāṣṭra, they also (followed) Gāndhārī, the daughter of Subala—indicating the royal elders proceeding together in the unfolding events, with the queen sharing her husband’s fate and responsibilities.

Word by Word

• धृतराष्ट्रात्: from Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अनु: after; following
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ते: to you; for you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine/Feminine/Neuter, Dative, Singular

• गान्धारी: Gāndhārī
• गान्धारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धारी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सुबलात्मजाम्: the daughter of Subala
• सुबलात्मजाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुबलात्मजा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Gāndhārī
• Subala

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the dharmic ideal of shared responsibility and steadfast companionship: Gāndhārī is portrayed as following in sequence with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, reflecting loyalty and the ethical weight borne by royal elders after the catastrophic war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana notes that after Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Gāndhārī—identified by her lineage as Subala’s daughter—also proceeds along with the others, marking the movement of the principal elders within the episode being narrated.