Mahabharata — Ashramavasika Parva, Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

हमारे इस राज्यको धिक्कार है, बल और पराक्रमको धिककार है तथा इस क्षत्रिय- धर्मको भी धिक्‍्कार है! जिससे आज हमलोग मृतकतुल्य जीवन बिता रहे हैं ।।

Transliteration

dhig astu no rājyaṃ dhig balaṃ ca parākramaḥ | dhig ayaṃ kṣatriyadharmaḥ yenādya mṛtakatulyam iva jīvāmaḥ || susūkṣmā kila kālasya gatir dvijavarottama | yat samutsṛjya rājyaṃ sā vanavāsam arocayat ||

Translation

ଧିକ୍ ଆମ ଏହି ରାଜ୍ୟକୁ, ଧିକ୍ ବଳ ଓ ପରାକ୍ରମକୁ, ଏହି କ୍ଷତ୍ରଧର୍ମକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଧିକ୍—ଯାହାରେ ଆଜି ଆମେ ମୃତକତୁଲ୍ୟ ଜୀବନ କାଟୁଛୁ। ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! କାଳର ଗତି ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ; ତାହାର ପ୍ରେରଣାରେ ମାତା କୁନ୍ତୀ ରାଜ୍ୟ ତ୍ୟାଗ କରି ବନବାସକୁ ହିଁ ଶ୍ରେୟ ମନେ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• सुसूक्ष्मा: very subtle
• सुसूक्ष्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुसूक्ष्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• किल: indeed / it is said
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल

• कालस्य: of time / of fate
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• गतिः: course, movement
• गतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विजवर-उत्तम: O best of excellent Brahmins
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + वर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यत्: whereby / because of which
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: relative pronoun used correlatively; here effectively 'whereby/for which reason'

• समुत्सृज्य: having abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-√सृज्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), non-finite

• राज्यम्: kingdom, sovereignty
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वनवासम्: dwelling in the forest / forest-life
• वनवासम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अरोचयत्: she preferred / she chose
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुच् (रोचते/रोचयति)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), Past, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Causative (णिच्)

• विप्रवर: O best of Brahmins
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kuntī
• Kāla (Time/Fate)
• dvijavarottama (a Brahmin interlocutor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Yudhiṣṭhira voices a moral crisis: worldly power, martial valor, and even ‘kṣatriya-dharma’ can feel hollow when they culminate in suffering and inner death. The verse also stresses the subtle, often unseen working of Kāla (Time/Fate), which can turn one toward renunciation—exemplified by Kuntī’s choice of forest-life over sovereignty.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Āśramavāsika context, after the devastations of the war and the elders’ withdrawal, Yudhiṣṭhira laments the worth of kingship and warrior duty. Addressing a Brahmin, he reflects that Time’s subtle course has led Kuntī to abandon the royal life and prefer living in the forest.