Shloka 18

Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 1 — The Pandavas’ Exit from Gajasāhvaya and the Citizens’ Lament (जनमेजयप्रश्नः; पाण्डवानां वनप्रस्थानम्)

Devanagari script

सानुक्रोशा महात्मानो विजितेन्द्रियशत्रव: । ह्वीमन्तः कीर्तिमन्तश्ष धर्माचारपरायणा:,पाण्डवगण दयालु, महात्मा, जितेन्द्रिय, शत्रुविजयी, लज्जाशील, यशस्वी, धर्मात्मा तथा सदाचारपरायण हैं

Transliteration

sānukrośā mahātmāno vijitendriyaśatravaḥ | hrīmantaḥ kīrtimantaś ca dharmācāraparāyaṇāḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Los Pāṇḍava eran compasivos y de alma grande—habían vencido tanto a sus sentidos como a sus enemigos. Eran modestos, célebres y firmemente entregados al dharma y a la recta conducta.

Word by Word

सानुक्रोशाःcompassionate

महात्मानःgreat-souled ones

विजितेन्द्रियशत्रवःwhose enemies are conquered and whose senses are subdued

ह्रीमान्तःmodest; possessing shame (sense of propriety)

कीर्तिमन्तःfamous; renowned

धर्माचारपरायणाःdevoted to dharma and right conduct

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True nobility is shown by compassion and restraint: conquering one’s senses is placed alongside conquering external enemies, and fame is grounded in dharma and proper conduct rather than mere power.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana characterizes the Pāṇḍavas by listing their virtues—compassion, greatness of soul, self-mastery, victory over foes, modesty, renown, and devotion to dharma—setting an ethical frame for the events of the Vana Parva.