Shloka 18

Adhyāya 32: Tāpasānāṃ Darśanaṃ — Ascetics Seek to Identify the Pāṇḍavas

Devanagari script

धर्मशीलो महातेजा: कुरूणां हितकृत्‌ तथा । ततः प्रोवाच ता: सर्वा: क्षत्रिया निहतेश्वरा:

Transliteration

dharmaśīlo mahātejāḥ kurūṇāṃ hitakṛt tathā | tataḥ provāca tāḥ sarvāḥ kṣatriyā nihateśvarāḥ ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—ତାପରେ ସେହି ମହାତ୍ମା, ମହାତେଜସ୍ବୀ, ଧର୍ମନିଷ୍ଠ ଓ କୁରୁମାନଙ୍କ ହିତକର୍ତ୍ତା ମହାମୁନି (ବ୍ୟାସ) ଜଳରେ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ ରହି, ଯାହାଙ୍କ ସ୍ୱାମୀମାନେ ନିହତ ହୋଇଥିଲେ ସେହି ସମସ୍ତ କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟ ନାରୀମାନଙ୍କୁ ସମ୍ବୋଧନ କରି କହିଲେ। ସେ ତାଙ୍କ ଶୋକକୁ ଧର୍ମରେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠା କରି, ଆକାଂକ୍ଷିତ ପଥ ଦେଖାଇ, ପତିଲୋକ-ପ୍ରାପ୍ତି ପାଇଁ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦେଶ ଦେଲେ।

Word by Word

• धर्मशीलः: virtuous in conduct
• धर्मशीलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मशील
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महातेजाः: of great splendor/power
• महातेजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातेजस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुरूणाम्: of the Kurus
• कुरूणाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हितकृत्: doer of good (benefactor)
• हितकृत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हितकृत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: and/also; thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• ततः: then; thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• प्रोवाच: said; spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ताः: those (women), them
• ताः: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• क्षत्रियाः: Kshatriya women
• क्षत्रियाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• निहतेश्वराः: whose lords were slain (widowed)
• निहतेश्वराः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निहतेश्वर
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kurus
• Kṣatriya women (widows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharmic leadership in a time of collective grief: a righteous, luminous guide acts for the welfare of the Kuru community by giving purposeful counsel to those devastated by war, redirecting sorrow toward a disciplined, value-guided course.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the destruction of the Kuru lords, the widowed Kṣatriya women are addressed by a dharma-centered, radiant figure who speaks to them as a group, setting the stage for their subsequent action described in the surrounding passage (their wish to follow their husbands’ path and the ritual act connected with the river).