Shloka 8
Virāṭanagara-nivāsa-nirṇaya
Decision to Reside in Virāṭa’s City
भारत! ब्राह्मणोंसे सब कुछ बताकर जब युधिष्ठिरने अरणीसहित मन्थनकाष्ठ पूर्वोक्त ब्राह्मणदेवताको सौंप दिया, तब धर्मपुत्र महामनस्वी उन राजा युधिष्ठिरने अपने सब भाइयोंको एकत्र करके इस प्रकार कहा-- ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
bhārata! brāhmaṇebhyaḥ sarvaṃ nivedya yudhiṣṭhiro 'raṇīsahitaṃ manthanakāṣṭhaṃ pūrvoktaṃ brāhmaṇadevatāyai samarpya, tataḥ dharmaputro mahāmanā rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ sarvān bhrātṝn ekatra kṛtvā evam uvāca—
dvādaśemāni varṣāṇi rājyavipraṣitā vayam |
trayodaśo 'yaṃ samprāptaḥ kṛcchrāt paramadurvasaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Bhārata! After informing the brāhmaṇas of everything and handing over the fire-drill set—araṇī and churning-sticks—to the brāhmaṇa-deity previously mentioned, Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Dharma, great-souled king, gathered all his brothers and spoke thus: ‘Twelve years have passed with us driven away from our kingdom. Now this thirteenth year has arrived—one that will be exceedingly hard to endure; we must live with the utmost secrecy, bearing hardships with restraint.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes dharmic endurance and disciplined restraint: after completing the prescribed twelve-year exile, the decisive ethical challenge is the thirteenth year—living incognito without revealing identity, bearing hardship without compromising conduct or vows.
Yudhiṣṭhira, after settling a matter involving brāhmaṇas and entrusting ritual implements (arani and churning wood) to a revered brāhmaṇa-deity, gathers his brothers and marks the transition from the completed twelve-year forest exile to the beginning of the perilous thirteenth year that must be spent in strict secrecy.