Shloka 18

Gāndhārī’s Petition for a Vision of the Departed (गान्धार्याः प्रार्थना—दिव्यदर्शनप्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

सहदेव: प्रियस्तस्या: पुत्रेभ्योईधिक एव तु

Transliteration

Sahadevaḥ priyastasyāḥ putrebhyo ’dhika eva tu.

Translation

ユディシュティラは言った。「サハデーヴァは母にとって愛しい者であった――まことに、自らの息子たち以上に。」『アーシュラマヴァーシカ』の倫理的な文脈において、この一句は、情愛と信頼が血縁を超えうること、そして悲嘆と離欲のただ中で関係を支えるのは品格と奉仕という静かな力であることを示している。

Word by Word

• सहदेवः: Sahadeva
• सहदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रियः: dear, beloved
• प्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रेभ्यः: to/for (her) sons
• पुत्रेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• अधिकः: more, greater (than)
• अधिकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तु: but, however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sahadeva
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• tasyāḥ (an unnamed woman referenced in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Affection and esteem are earned through conduct and devoted service; moral character can create bonds stronger than those formed by birth alone.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira remarks on the special regard someone (referred to as “she”) had for Sahadeva, stating that her fondness for him exceeded even her affection for her own sons.