Shloka 16

Nārada’s Exempla of Tapas and Assurance to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (नारदोपदेशः—तपःसिद्ध्युदाहरणम्)

Devanagari script

कृताद्विकं च राजानं धृतराष्ट्र महीपतिम्‌ । ददर्शासीनमव्यग्र॑ गान्धारीसहितं तदा

Transliteration

kṛtādvikaṃ ca rājānaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ mahīpatim | dadarśāsīnam avyagraṃ gāndhārī-sahitaṃ tadā ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。そこで彼は、大地の主たる王ドリタラーシュトラが、日々の儀礼を終えて、心乱れなく静かに座し、傍らにガーンダーリーを伴っているのを見た。

Word by Word

• कृताद्विकम्: having performed the daily rites
• कृताद्विकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-अद्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महीपतिम्: the lord of the earth (king)
• महीपतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ददर्श: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• आसीनम्: seated
• आसीनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आस् (धातु) → आसीन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अव्यग्रम्: unperturbed, calm
• अव्यग्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गान्धारी: with Gāndhārī
• गान्धारी: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• सहितम्: accompanied (by)
• सहितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह (धातु/उपसर्गार्थ) → सहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Gāndhārī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even after immense loss and moral turmoil, the text highlights steadiness through dharma: completing one’s daily obligations (nitya-karma) and maintaining inner composure (avyagra) as a foundation for ethical living and later renunciation.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports that the visitor arrives and sees the aged king Dhṛtarāṣṭra seated peacefully after finishing his daily rites, with Gāndhārī beside him—signaling a shift from royal life toward disciplined forest-dwelling and restraint.