Mahabharata — Ashramavasika Parva, Shloka 16

Gāndhārī’s Petition for a Vision of the Departed (गान्धार्याः प्रार्थना—दिव्यदर्शनप्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

मन्ये पृथा वेपमाना कृशा धमनिसंतता

Transliteration

manye pṛthā vepamānā kṛśā dhamanisaṃtatā

Translation

ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର କହିଲେ—“ମୋତେ ଲାଗୁଛି ପୃଥା (କୁନ୍ତୀ) କମ୍ପୁଛନ୍ତି; ସେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ କୃଶ ହୋଇଯାଇଛନ୍ତି, ତାଙ୍କ ଶିରାଗୁଡ଼ିକ ଉଭା ହୋଇଦେଖାଯାଉଛି।”

Word by Word

• मन्ये: I think / I consider
• मन्ये: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (मन्यते)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तम, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• पृथा: Pritha (Kunti)
• पृथा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथा (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वेपमाना: trembling
• वेपमाना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेप (धातु) → वेपमान (वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्री, प्रथमा, एकवचन, शतृ (वर्तमान-कर्तरि)

• कृशा: emaciated / thin
• कृशा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धमनि-संतता: with (her) veins stretched/standing out; sinewy
• धमनि-संतता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धमनि + संतत (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pṛthā (Kuntī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic sensitivity to the suffering of elders: moral responsibility includes attentive compassion, recognizing physical decline and responding with care rather than indifference.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira observes Kuntī’s frail condition—trembling and emaciated with prominent veins—indicating hardship during the forest-dwelling (āśrama) phase and prompting concern for her welfare.