Shloka 43
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 113 — Maryādā-sthāpana (Śvetaketu’s Boundary) and the Niyoga Deliberation of Pāṇḍu and Kuntī
सो5भिवाद्य पितु: पादौ कौसल्यानन्दवर्धन: । यथा मानयामास पौरजानपदानपि,कौसल्याका- आनन्द बढ़ानेवाले पाण्डुने निकट आकर पितृव्य भीष्मके चरणोंमें प्रणाम किया और नगर तथा जनपदके लोगोंका भी यथायोग्य सम्मान किया
so ’bhivādya pituḥ pādau kausalyānandavardhanaḥ | yathā mānayāmāsa paurajānāpadān api ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having bowed in reverence at his father’s feet, Pāṇḍu—who increased the joy of the Kuru household—then approached and paid homage at the feet of his paternal elder Bhīṣma, and he duly honored the townsmen and the people of the countryside as well. The passage highlights the ethic of humility and proper regard for elders and the wider community as marks of righteous conduct.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharma expressed as humility and proper conduct: honoring one’s father and elders, and extending respectful regard to the broader community (citizens and subjects). Such courtesy is presented as a moral and political virtue expected of a prince.
Pāṇḍu arrives, first bows at his father’s feet, then approaches his paternal elder Bhīṣma to bow at his feet, and thereafter honors the townspeople and the inhabitants of the realm in a manner appropriate to their status.