Shloka 40

Devanagari script

नरयानेन तु ज्येष्ठ: पिता पार्थस्य भारत । अग्रतो धर्मराजस्य गान्धारीसहितो ययौ,भरतनन्दन! कुन्तीपुत्र धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरके ज्येष्ठ पिता (ताऊ) गान्धारीसहित पालकीमें बैठकर उनके आगे-आगे जा रहे थे

Transliteration

narayānena tu jyeṣṭhaḥ pitā pārthasya bhārata | agrato dharmarājasya gāndhārīsahito yayau ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Oh Bhārata, el mayor de los padres de Pārtha (el anciano paterno), acompañado de Gāndhārī, avanzó en palanquín, por delante de Dharmarāja. La escena subraya la vigencia de la precedencia y el decoro: aun tras la guerra, se honra a los mayores y se les coloca al frente, mientras el rey sigue en respetuoso orden.

Word by Word

नरयानेनby a palanquin (lit. man-carriage)

तुbut/indeed

ज्येष्ठःelder

पिताfather/uncle (paternal elder)

पार्थस्यof Partha (Arjuna/Pandava)

भारतO Bharata

अग्रतःin front/ahead

धर्मराजस्यof Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)

गान्धारीwith Gandhari

सहितःaccompanied (together)

ययौwent

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhārata (Janamejaya as addressee)

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Gāndhārī

palanquin (narayāna)

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?

The verse highlights dharmic social order: elders and senior relatives are accorded precedence and honor, and the ruler himself follows proper decorum. Even after catastrophic conflict, ethical conduct is shown through restraint, respect, and adherence to rightful hierarchy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the senior paternal elder of the Pāṇḍavas (understood as Dhṛtarāṣṭra) travels ahead of King Yudhiṣṭhira in a palanquin, accompanied by Gāndhārī, indicating a formal procession in which the elders are placed in front.