Shloka 8

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Public Request for Consent to Enter the Forest (अनुज्ञा-प्रार्थना)

Devanagari script

अनिशं यत्र पुरुषा गणका लेखकास्तदा | युधिष्ठिरस्य वचनादपृच्छन्त सम तं॑ नृूपम्‌

Transliteration

aniśaṃ yatra puruṣā gaṇakā lekhakās tadā | yudhiṣṭhirasya vacanād apṛcchanta samaṃ taṃ nṛpam ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。そこでは常に、会計係と書記たちが備えを整えて立っていた。ユディシュティラの命により、彼らはその王ドリタラーシュトラに、穏やかで敬意ある口調で繰り返し問うた――「この請願者たちには何を施すべきでしょうか」。資財はあらかじめ整えられていたため、ドリタラーシュトラが指示するや否や、その分の施しは直ちに配られた。これは、ダルマの監督のもとで衝動ではなく秩序と勘定によって行われる、整然たる布施の姿である。

Word by Word

• अनिशम्: constantly, continually
• अनिशम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनिशम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• पुरुषाः: men, persons
• पुरुषाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गणकाः: accountants, calculators
• गणकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लेखकाः: scribes, writers
• लेखकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेखक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तदा: then, at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• युधिष्ठिरस्य: of Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वचनात्: from (the) command/word
• वचनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अपृच्छन्त: they asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• समम्: together/at the same time; continually (as an adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम

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

• नृपम्: king
• नृपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• gaṇakāḥ (accountants)
• lekhakāḥ (scribes)
• yācakāḥ (petitioners/beggars) (implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dāna (charitable giving) is presented as a dharmic duty best carried out with discipline: resources are kept ready, decisions are made calmly, and distribution is recorded and administered responsibly—linking compassion with accountability.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Āśramavāsika setting, attendants—accountants and scribes—remain constantly present. Following Yudhiṣṭhira’s directive, they repeatedly consult Dhṛtarāṣṭra about what to give to petitioners, and then dispense the specified gifts promptly.