Shloka 25

अध्याय १: महाप्रस्थानारम्भः

The Commencement of the Great Departure

Devanagari script

आत्मना सप्तमो राजा निर्ययौ गजसाह्दयात्‌ । पौरैरनुगतो दूरं सर्वैरन्तःपुरैस्तथा

Transliteration

ātmanā saptamo rājā niryayau gajasāhdayāt | paurair anugato dūraṃ sarvair antaḥpurais tathā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The king, as the seventh in that line, set out in person from Gajasāhvaya. The citizens followed him for a long distance, and so too did all the women of the inner palace.

Word by Word

आत्मनाby himself

सप्तमःthe seventh

राजाking

निर्ययौwent out / departed

गजसाह्वयात्from (the city) named Gajasāhvaya (Hastināpura)

पौरैःby the citizens

अनुगतःfollowed / accompanied

दूरम्far (for a long distance)

सर्वैःby all

अन्तःपुरैःby the inner apartments / harem (people of the palace)

तथाalso / likewise

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

rājā (the king)

Gajasāhvaya (Hastināpura)

paura (citizens of the city)

antaḥpura (royal inner apartments/household)

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?

A ruler’s final act of renunciation is ethically weighty because kingship is bound to the people; even withdrawal from power occurs under the gaze of community and family, highlighting the tension between detachment (vairāgya) and relational duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

The king leaves the capital Gajasāhvaya (Hastināpura) personally, and the citizens and the entire inner royal household accompany him for some distance, marking the solemn beginning of the great final departure.