Shloka 6

Devanagari script

निवृत्ते पौरवर्गे च राजा सान्त:पुरस्तदा । धृतराष्ट्रा भ्यनुज्ञातो निवर्तितुमियेष ह,पुरवासियोंके लौट जानेपर अन्तःपुरकी रानियोंसहित राजा युधिष्ठिरने धृतराष्ट्रकी आज्ञा लेकर लौट जानेका विचार किया

Transliteration

nivṛtte pauravarge ca rājā sāntaḥpurastadā | dhṛtarāṣṭrābhyanujñāto nivartitum iyeṣa ha ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Cuando los habitantes de la ciudad se hubieron retirado, el rey Yudhiṣṭhira—junto con las reinas del gineceo—y habiendo obtenido el permiso de Dhṛtarāṣṭra, resolvió entonces regresar. Este instante pone de relieve la contención conforme al dharma: aun vencedor, el rey actúa sólo tras solicitar el consentimiento del anciano, honrando la jerarquía y el decoro en la amarga resaca de la guerra.

Word by Word

निवृत्तेwhen (it was) returned/withdrawn

पौरवर्गेin the group of townspeople/citizens

चand

राजाthe king

स-अन्तःपुरःtogether with the inner apartments/queens (with his harem)

तदाthen

धृतराष्ट्रात्from Dhṛtarāṣṭra

अभ्यनुज्ञातःhaving been permitted/authorized

निवर्तितुम्to return

इयेषhe wished/intended

हindeed/for emphasis

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

pauravarga (townspeople/citizens)

antaḥpura (inner palace)

antaḥpurāḥ (queens/women of the inner palace)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in victory and political authority, dharma requires deference to elders and proper procedure: Yudhiṣṭhira does not act unilaterally but seeks Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s consent, modeling restraint, respect, and ethical governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the citizens have returned home, Yudhiṣṭhira—accompanied by the palace queens—takes Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s leave and prepares to return, marking a transition from public gathering to the next stage of the elders’ forest-dwelling narrative.