Shloka 6

पाण्डव-वृष्णि-समागमः तथा अश्वमेध-अनुज्ञा | Reunion at the Kuru Court and Authorization of the Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

स्त्रियो भरतसिंहानां नावं लब्ध्वेव पारगा: | कुन्ती द्रुपदपुत्री च सुभद्रा चोत्तरा तथा

Transliteration

striyo bharatasiṁhānāṁ nāvaṁ labdhveva pāragāḥ | kuntī drupadaputrī ca subhadrā cottarā tathā

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Para wanita bagi para pahlawan Bharata yang gagah laksana singa itu, seolah-olah telah memperoleh sebuah perahu, lalu sampai ke seberang. Antara mereka ialah Kuntī, puteri Drupada (Draupadī), Subhadrā, dan juga Uttarā.

Word by Word

स्त्रियःwomen

भरतसिंहानाम्of the lion-like Bharatas (heroes of the Bharata line)

नावम्a boat

लब्ध्वाhaving obtained

इवas if / like

पारगाःthose who have reached the far shore; having crossed over

कुन्तीKunti

द्रुपदपुत्रीthe daughter of Drupada (Draupadi)

चand

सुभद्राSubhadra

चand

उत्तराUttara

तथाlikewise / also

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bharatas (Kuru lineage)

Kuntī

Draupadī (Drupada’s daughter)

Subhadrā

Uttarā

boat (nāva)

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 uses the image of a boat and the far shore to suggest deliverance through support and right guidance: even amid the epic’s post-war suffering, steadfastness and dharmic protection enable one to ‘cross over’ adversity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana names prominent royal women connected to the Pāṇḍavas—Kuntī, Draupadī, Subhadrā, and Uttarā—describing them as having safely ‘crossed’ like travelers who have found a boat, indicating their passage through a difficult situation toward safety or resolution.