Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अतीत्य ता महाबाहु: क्रोशन्ती: कुररीरिव । ववन्दे पितरं ज्येष्ठं धर्मराजो युधिछिर:,धर्मराज महाबाहु युधिष्ठिरने कुररीकी भाँति क्रन्दन करती हुई उन स्त्रियोंके घेरेको लाँघकर अपने ताऊ धृतराष्ट्रको प्रणाम किया

Transliteration

atītya tā mahābāhuḥ krośantīḥ kurarīr iva | vavande pitaraṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Having passed beyond those women who were wailing like ospreys, the mighty-armed Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira bowed in reverence to his eldest father-figure, Dhṛtarāṣṭra. In the midst of grief after the war, Yudhiṣṭhira’s act underscores restraint and duty: even amid lamentation and moral anguish, he upholds respect toward elders and acknowledges familial and royal obligations.

Word by Word

अतीत्यhaving crossed/overstepped

ताःthose (women)

महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed (one)

क्रोशन्तीःcrying, wailing

कुररीःospreys/curlews (a wailing bird)

इवlike, as if

ववन्देbowed to, paid homage

पितरम्father/elder (revered one)

ज्येष्ठम्the eldest

धर्मराजःDharmaraja (Yudhishthira)

युधिष्ठिरःYudhishthira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

women mourners

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in overwhelming sorrow and moral turmoil after violence, one should not abandon dharma: Yudhiṣṭhira maintains reverence toward elders and fulfills social and familial duty, modeling self-control and ethical conduct amid grief.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the post-war scene of the Strī Parva, women are crying loudly in mourning. Yudhiṣṭhira moves past their lamentation and approaches Dhṛtarāṣṭra, offering respectful obeisance to him as the senior elder and father-figure.