Shloka 18

Vyāsa’s Consolation to Yudhiṣṭhira: Tapas, Kāla, and the Difficulty of Dāna (दान-तपस्-विवेकः)

Devanagari script

उत्सृज्यध्वं महावीर्यान्‌ धृतराष्ट्रसुतानिमान्‌ । दारांश्नैषां विमुज्चध्वं धर्मराजस्य शासनात्‌

Transliteration

utsṛjya-dhvaṁ mahāvīryān dhṛtarāṣṭra-sutān imān | dārān eṣāṁ vimucadhvaṁ dharmarājasya śāsanāt ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ഈ മഹാവീരന്മാരായ ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രപുത്രന്മാരെ വിട്ടയക്കുക; ധർമ്മരാജന്റെ കല്പനപ്രകാരം അവരുടെ ഭാര്യമാരെയും മോചിപ്പിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

उत्सृज्यhaving abandoned/left

ध्वम्you (all)

महावीर्यान्very valiant

धृतराष्ट्रसुतान्sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra

इमान्these

दारान्wives

एषाम्of these (men)

विमुञ्चध्वम्release/let go (you all)

धर्मराजस्यof Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

शासनात्from/according to the command

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (Kauravas)

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

wives of the Kauravas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid conflict, dharma requires restraint and compassion: captives are to be released, and women are not to be treated as spoils but protected and freed, especially under a righteous king’s command.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports an order issued under Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira): the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra are to be released, and their wives are also to be set free, emphasizing lawful conduct and humane treatment.