Shloka 4

अध्याय ९ — धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति राजनित्युपदेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Royal Policy to Yudhiṣṭhira

Devanagari script

पित्रा स्वयमनुज्ञातं कृष्णद्वैपायनेन वै । वनवासाय धर्मज्ञा धर्मज्ञेन नूपेण ह

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | pitrā svayam anu jñātaṃ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanena vai | vanavāsāya dharmajñā dharmajñena nṛpeṇa ha ||

Translation

वैशम्पायन बोले—पिता कृष्णद्वैपायन (व्यास) ने स्वयं अनुमति दी थी; और धर्मज्ञ राजा ने भी। तब धर्मज्ञ वह वनवास के लिए उद्यत हुआ।

Word by Word

• पित्रा: by the father
• पित्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• स्वयम्: personally, oneself
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्

• अनुज्ञातम्: permitted, allowed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-ज्ञा
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कृष्णद्वैपायनेन: by Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• कृष्णद्वैपायनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णद्वैपायन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• वनवासाय: for forest-dwelling (exile)
• वनवासाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनवास
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• धर्मज्ञाः: knowers of dharma (righteous ones)
• धर्मज्ञाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धर्मज्ञेन: by the knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• नृपेण: by the king
• नृपेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• the king (nṛpa; contextually Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Renunciation (vanavāsa/forest-retreat) is portrayed as a dharmic act when undertaken with proper authorization and in harmony with social and moral order—here, sanctioned by Vyāsa and by the dharma-guided king.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator states that permission has been granted—by Vyāsa (as father/elder authority) and by the king (Yudhiṣṭhira in context)—for the intended forest-dwelling, marking a transition from royal life to ascetic retirement after the war’s losses.