Shloka 18

Āśramamaṇḍala-darśana and Ṛṣi-samāgama

Observation of the Hermitage Precinct and the Assembly of Sages

Devanagari script

पप्रच्छ तमृषिं चापि वैशम्पायनमच्युतम्‌ । कथावशेषं धर्मज्ञो वनवासस्य सत्तम

Transliteration

papraccha tam ṛṣiṁ cāpi vaiśampāyanam acyutam | kathāvaśeṣaṁ dharmajño vanavāsasya sattama sādhūśiromaṇe tatpaścāt ||

Translation

तत्पश्चात् उस धर्मज्ञ नरेश ने धर्म से कभी च्युत न होने वाले महर्षि वैशम्पायन से धृतराष्ट्र के वनवास की अवशिष्ट कथा पूछी—“साधुशिरोमणे! अब आगे क्या हुआ? कृपा कर कहिए।”

Word by Word

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ऋषिम्: sage
• ऋषिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• वैशम्पायनम्: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अच्युतम्: the infallible one
• अच्युतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अच्युत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कथा: story, account
• कथा: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अवशेषम्: remaining, the remainder
• अवशेषम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवशेष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मज्ञः: knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वनवासस्य: of the forest-dwelling (exile)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनवास
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सत्तम: O best of the good
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• साधु: O good one
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शिरोमणे: O crest-jewel (best) (of the good)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरोमणि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

आस्तीक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Āstīka
• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• vanavāsa (forest-dwelling)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic inquiry: a sincere seeker respectfully asks a trustworthy sage to complete an unfinished account. Ethically, it underscores that the later-life path of renunciation (vanavāsa) and its consequences deserve careful attention, not mere curiosity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Astīka, described as dharma-knowing, asks the sage Vaiśampāyana to continue and complete the remaining narrative about Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s life in the forest—what happened after the portion already told.