Shloka 26
अध्याय १: महाप्रस्थानारम्भः
The Commencement of the Great Departure
Devanagari script
न्यवर्तन्त ततः सर्वे नरा नगरवासिन:
Transliteration
nyavartanta tataḥ sarve narā nagaravāsinaḥ
Translation
Kemudian semua orang yang tinggal di kota itu pun berpatah balik.
Word by Word
न्यवर्तन्तreturned, turned back
न्यवर्तन्त:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवृत् (वर्त्)
Formलङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, 3, Plural
ततःthen, thereafter; from there
ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततस्
सर्वेall
सर्वे:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नराःmen, people
नराः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नगरवासिनःcity-dwellers, inhabitants of the city
नगरवासिनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनगरवासिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
Speaker
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Characters & Entities
न
नगर (the city)न
नगरवासिनः (the city-dwellers)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores withdrawal from worldly involvement: as the protagonists move toward renunciation, the city’s people turn back, symbolizing the boundary between ordinary social life and the demanding path of final detachment.
After accompanying or witnessing the departure, all the inhabitants of the city return home, while the departing figures continue onward, marking a transition from public spectacle to solitary, ascetic progression.