Shloka 21

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट्रश्न सामात्य: प्रययौ सह पाण्डवै: । सहितो मुनिशार्टूलैर्गन्धर्वैश्ष॒ समागतै:,राजा धृतराष्ट्र अपने मन्त्रियों, पाण्डवों, मुनिवरों तथा वहाँ आये हुए गन्धर्वोंके साथ गड़ाजीके समीप गये

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ sa sāmātyaḥ prayayau saha pāṇḍavaiḥ | sahito muniśārdūlair gandharvaiś ca samāgataiḥ ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മന്ത്രിമാരോടുകൂടി രാജാവ് ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രൻ പാണ്ഡവന്മാരോടൊപ്പം പുറപ്പെട്ടു. അവിടെ സമാഗമിച്ച മുനിശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരും ഗന്ധർവന്മാരും കൂടെ നിന്നപ്പോൾ ആ രാജാവ് ഗംഗയുടെ സമീപത്തെത്തി॥

Word by Word

धृतराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra

सामात्यःtogether with ministers

प्रययौwent

सहwith

पाण्डवैःwith the Pāṇḍavas

सहितःaccompanied (together)

मुनिशार्दूलैःwith the tiger-like sages (best of sages)

गन्धर्वैःwith Gandharvas

चand

समागतैःwho had come/assembled

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Pāṇḍavas

ministers (amātyas)

sages (munis)

Gandharvas

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?

The verse highlights the ethical value of moving forward under right guidance—ministers, sages, and even celestial witnesses—suggesting that in late life and moral transition, one should seek dharmic direction through wise counsel and the company of the virtuous.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Dhṛtarāṣṭra proceeds together with his ministers and the Pāṇḍavas, accompanied by eminent sages and assembled Gandharvas, indicating a formal, witnessed movement toward the next stage of life in the forest-ascetic setting.