Shloka 28

Devanagari script

स्‍्नुषाभि: संवृतां शश्वत्‌ ताराभिरिव रोहिणीम्‌ । अभिवाद्य स गान्धारीं तया च प्रतिनन्दित:

Transliteration

snuṣābhiḥ saṃvṛtāṃ śaśvat tārābhir iva rohiṇīm | abhivādya sa gāndhārīṃ tayā ca pratinanditaḥ ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു— എപ്പോഴും മരുമക്കളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ട്, നക്ഷത്രങ്ങൾ ചുറ്റിയ റോഹിണിയെപ്പോലെ ദീപ്തയായ ഗന്ധാരിയെ അവൻ വന്ദിച്ചു; ഗന്ധാരിയും സന്തോഷത്തോടെ അവനെ സ്നേഹപൂർവ്വം അംഗീകരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

स्नुषाभिःby/with the daughters-in-law

संवृताम्surrounded/covered

शश्वत्always, continually

ताराभिःby/with the stars

इवlike, as

रोहिणीम्Rohiṇī (the nakṣatra)

अभिवाद्यhaving saluted

सःhe

गान्धारीम्Gāndhārī

तयाby her

चand

प्रतिनन्दितःwelcomed, greeted

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Gāndhārī

snuṣāḥ (daughters-in-law of the Kuru household)

Rohiṇī

tārāḥ (stars)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

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 dhārmic social conduct: respectful salutation to elders and the reciprocal duty of elders to respond with gracious acceptance, reinforcing harmony and order within the family and court.

What is happening in the narrative?

A male figure (contextually understood from surrounding verses) approaches Gāndhārī, who is seated amid her daughters-in-law; he offers a formal salutation, and Gāndhārī responds by welcoming him approvingly.