Shloka 40
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 113 — Maryādā-sthāpana (Śvetaketu’s Boundary) and the Niyoga Deliberation of Pāṇḍu and Kuntī
प्रत्युद्ययुश्न त॑ प्राप्तं सर्वे भीष्मपुरोगमा: । ते नदूरमिवाध्वानं गत्वा नागपुरालयात्,राजा पाण्डु जब नगरके निकट आये, तब भीष्म आदि सब कौरव उनकी अगवानीके लिये आगे बढ़ आये। उन्होंने प्रसन्नतापूर्वक देखा, राजा पाण्डु और उनका दल बड़े उत्साहके साथ आ रहे हैं। उस समय ऐसा जान पड़ता था, मानो वे लोग हस्तिनापुरसे थोड़ी ही दूरतक जाकर वहाँसे लौट रहे हों। उनके साथ भाँति-भाँतिके धन एवं नाना प्रकारके वाहनोंपर लादकर लाये हुए छोटे-बड़े रत्न, श्रेष्ठ हाथी, घोड़े, रथ, गौएँ, ऊँट तथा भेंड़ आदि भी थे। भीष्मके साथ कौरवोंने वहाँ जाकर देखा, तो उस धन-वैभवका कहीं अन्त नहीं दिखायी दिया
pratyudyayuś ca prāptaṁ sarve bhīṣmapurogamāḥ | te na dūram ivādhvānaṁ gatvā nāgapurālayāt ||
Vaiśampāyana said: All the Kurus, led by Bhīṣma, went forth to welcome the arriving king. Having gone only a short distance from the city—so little that it seemed as though they had barely set out on the road—they met him and beheld Pāṇḍu approaching with evident vigor and joy. The scene conveys a public ethic of honor and kinship: the elders and the royal household uphold propriety by receiving the returning king with respect and goodwill.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights rājanīti and kula-dharma: a ruler and his elders maintain social order through proper reception, respect, and goodwill. Public honor shown to a returning king reinforces legitimacy, unity, and ethical governance.
Bhīṣma and the Kuru elders go out from Hastināpura (Nāgapura) to welcome King Pāṇḍu as he arrives. They meet him after going only a short distance outside the city, emphasizing eagerness and respect in the reception.