Shloka 19
अध्याय १: महाप्रस्थानारम्भः
The Commencement of the Great Departure
ततः स राजा कौरव्यो धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर:
tataḥ sa rājā kauravyo dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
Then that Kuru king—Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Dharma—went onward, embodying the moral authority and responsibility that defined his role at the close of his earthly journey.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds Yudhiṣṭhira’s identity as “Dharmaputra,” implying that true authority is rooted in righteousness; even at life’s end, the king is defined less by power than by moral lineage and ethical steadfastness.
In the Mahāprasthānika context, the narration turns to Yudhiṣṭhira as the central figure of the Great Departure; this line introduces him as the Kuru king and son of Dharma, preparing for the ensuing actions of his final journey.