Shloka 62

Adhyāya 45 — Duryodhana’s Distress, Śakuni’s Counsel, and the Summons for Dyūta

Devanagari script

प्रययौ पुण्डरीकाक्षस्ततो द्वारवतीं पुरीम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | prayayau puṇḍarīkākṣas tato dvāravatīṃ purīm | snātvā japam ca kṛtvā ca brāhmaṇebhyaḥ svastivācanaṃ kārayām āsa | tataḥ mahābāhur dāruko meghaśyāmaṃ sundaraṃ rathaṃ yuktvā tasya sevāyām upasthitaḥ | garuḍadhvajena suśobhitaṃ taṃ sundaraṃ rathaṃ dṛṣṭvā mahāmanāḥ kamalanayanaḥ śrīkṛṣṇas tasya dakṣiṇāvartaṃ pradakṣiṇāṃ kṛtvā tam āruroha, dvārakāpurīṃ prati prayayau ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Alors le Seigneur aux yeux de lotus se mit en route vers la cité de Dvāravatī. Après s’être baigné et avoir accompli le japa, il fit prononcer par les brāhmaṇas des bénédictions de bon augure. Sur ces entrefaites, Dāruka, aux bras puissants, ayant attelé un char magnifique, bleu sombre comme un nuage de pluie, et orné de l’étendard de Garuḍa, se tint prêt au service. Voyant ce char splendide, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, magnanime et aux yeux de lotus, en fit la circumambulation selon le sens droit, puis y monta et se dirigea vers la ville de Dvārakā.

Word by Word

• प्रययौ: went forth, departed
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु √या)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद) / परोक्षभूत (perfect), 3, singular

• पुण्डरीकाक्षः: the lotus-eyed one (Krishna)
• पुण्डरीकाक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीकाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• द्वारवतीम्: to Dvāravatī
• द्वारवतीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Puṇḍarīkākṣa, Kamalanayana)
• Dāruka
• Dvāravatī (Dvārakāpurī)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Chariot (ratha)
• Garuḍa-banner (garuḍadhvaja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage models dharmic conduct before undertaking an important journey: purification (snāna), disciplined prayer (japa), receiving blessings from brāhmaṇas (svastivācana), and showing reverence through auspicious circumambulation (pradakṣiṇā). It presents ethical attentiveness to ritual propriety and respect for sacred symbols.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa prepares to depart for Dvārakā. After bathing and japa, he has brāhmaṇas recite blessings. His attendant Dāruka brings a cloud-dark, Garuḍa-bannered chariot. Kṛṣṇa circumambulates it clockwise, mounts, and sets off toward Dvārakā.