Shloka 25
अध्याय १: महाप्रस्थानारम्भः
The Commencement of the Great Departure
आत्मना सप्तमो राजा निर्ययौ गजसाह्दयात् । पौरैरनुगतो दूरं सर्वैरन्तःपुरैस्तथा
ātmanā saptamo rājā niryayau gajasāhdayāt | paurair anugato dūraṃ sarvair antaḥpurais tathā ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Raja itu, sebagai yang ketujuh dalam rombongan, berangkat sendiri dari Gajasāhvaya. Para warga mengiringinya jauh, demikian pula semua wanita di dalam istana.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s final act of renunciation is ethically weighty because kingship is bound to the people; even withdrawal from power occurs under the gaze of community and family, highlighting the tension between detachment (vairāgya) and relational duty.
The king leaves the capital Gajasāhvaya (Hastināpura) personally, and the citizens and the entire inner royal household accompany him for some distance, marking the solemn beginning of the great final departure.