Shloka 2

आयोधनदर्शनम्

Viewing the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra

Devanagari script

पतिव्रता महाभागा समानव्रतचारिणी । उग्रेण तपसा युक्ता सततं सत्यवादिनी,गान्धारी बड़ी ही पतिव्रता, परम सौभाग्यवती, पतिके समान व्रतका पालन करनेवाली, उग्र तपस्यासे युक्त तथा सदा सत्य बोलनेवाली थीं

Transliteration

patīvratā mahābhāgā samānavratacāriṇī | ugreṇa tapasā yuktā satataṁ satyavādinī ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Gāndhārī was a supremely devoted wife (pativratā), greatly fortunate and noble in spirit. She observed vows in harmony with her husband’s discipline, was steadfast in severe austerity, and was unfailingly committed to speaking the truth.

Word by Word

• पतिव्रता: devoted to her husband (chaste wife)
• पतिव्रता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतिव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• महाभागा: highly fortunate, illustrious
• महाभागा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• समानव्रतचारिणी: one who observes vows equal (to her husband's)
• समानव्रतचारिणी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समानव्रतचारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• उग्रेण: by severe (austerity)
• उग्रेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तपसा: by austerity, penance
• तपसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• युक्ता: endowed with, possessed of
• युक्ता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सततम्: always, constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)

• सत्यवादिनी: truth-speaking
• सत्यवादिनी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यवादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Gāndhārī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates ethical virtues—marital fidelity (patīvratā), rigorous self-discipline (tapas), and unwavering truthfulness (satyavāda)—as sources of moral stature, especially significant in a post-war setting where grief and judgment require integrity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana introduces and characterizes Gāndhārī by listing her defining virtues, preparing the reader to understand her role and authority in the Strī Parva’s scenes of mourning and reflection after the Kurukṣetra war.