Shloka 6

अध्याय १५ (Āśramavāsika-parva): धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनवासानुज्ञायाचनम् — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s renewed plea for consent to forest-dwelling

Devanagari script

निवृत्ते पौरवर्गे च राजा सान्त:पुरस्तदा । धृतराष्ट्रा भ्यनुज्ञातो निवर्तितुमियेष ह,पुरवासियोंके लौट जानेपर अन्तःपुरकी रानियोंसहित राजा युधिष्ठिरने धृतराष्ट्रकी आज्ञा लेकर लौट जानेका विचार किया

Transliteration

nivṛtte pauravarge ca rājā sāntaḥpurastadā | dhṛtarāṣṭrābhyanujñāto nivartitum iyeṣa ha ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。町人たちが去ったのち、ユディシュティラ王は内宮の后たちとともに、ドリタラーシュトラの許しを得てから、帰還する決意を固めた。この場面はダルマにかなう自制を示す。勝者であっても、長老の同意を請い、序列と礼法を守り、戦後の悲嘆のただ中で節度を失わないのである。

Word by Word

निवृत्तेwhen (it was) returned/withdrawn

पौरवर्गेin the group of townspeople/citizens

चand

राजाthe king

स-अन्तःपुरःtogether with the inner apartments/queens (with his harem)

तदाthen

धृतराष्ट्रात्from Dhṛtarāṣṭra

अभ्यनुज्ञातःhaving been permitted/authorized

निवर्तितुम्to return

इयेषhe wished/intended

हindeed/for emphasis

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

pauravarga (townspeople/citizens)

antaḥpura (inner palace)

antaḥpurāḥ (queens/women of the inner palace)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in victory and political authority, dharma requires deference to elders and proper procedure: Yudhiṣṭhira does not act unilaterally but seeks Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s consent, modeling restraint, respect, and ethical governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the citizens have returned home, Yudhiṣṭhira—accompanied by the palace queens—takes Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s leave and prepares to return, marking a transition from public gathering to the next stage of the elders’ forest-dwelling narrative.