Shloka 16

Devanagari script

“जब तुम वनमें चले गये थे, उन दिनों तेरह वर्षोतक अपने पुत्रके अधीन रहनेवाले विशाल राज्यका इन्होंने उपभोग किया और नाना प्रकारके धन दिये हैं ।। त्वया चायं नरव्याप्र गुरुशुश्रूषयानघ । आराधित: सभृत्येन गान्धारी च यशस्विनी,“निष्पाप नरव्याप्र! सेवकोंसहित तुमने भी गुरुसेवाके भावसे इनकी तथा यशस्विनी गान्धारी देवीकी आराधना की है

Transliteration

tvayā cāyaṃ naravyāghra guruśuśrūṣayānagha | ārādhitaḥ sabhṛtyena gāndhārī ca yaśasvinī ||

Translation

वैशंपायन म्हणाले—तू वनात गेल्यावर, पुत्राच्या अधीन असलेले ते विशाल राज्य त्यांनी तेरा वर्षे विधिपूर्वक भोगले व चालविले आणि नाना प्रकारचे धन दान केले. आणि निष्पाप नरव्याघ्रा! तूही सेवकांसह गुरुसेवेच्या भावाने त्यांची आराधना केलीस; तसेच यशस्विनी गांधारी देवीचा योग्य सन्मान केला आहेस.

Word by Word

त्वयाby you

चand

अयम्this (person)

नरव्याघ्रO tiger among men

गुरुशुश्रूषयाby service to the elders/teacher

अनघO sinless one

आराधितःwas duly honored/served

सभृत्येनtogether with attendants/servants

गान्धारीGandhārī

चand

यशस्विनीglorious, renowned

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Gāndhārī

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'ayam' in context)

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 dharma expressed as respectful service to elders—approaching them with the attitude of guru-sevā, not merely political obligation. Ethical excellence is shown through reverence, humility, and care, extended even to those connected with former adversaries.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana recalls how the addressed hero (contextually a Pāṇḍava, especially Yudhiṣṭhira) honored and attended upon the elder king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) and also revered Queen Gāndhārī, doing so along with his attendants—emphasizing continued duty and reconciliation in the post-war forest-dwelling phase.