Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अगन्निहोत्रं पुरस्कृत्य वल्कलाजिनसंवृत: । वधूजनवृतो राजा निर्ययौ भवनात्‌ ततः,उस दिन कार्तिककी पूर्णिमा थी। उसमें उन्होंने वेदके पारंगत विद्वान्‌ ब्राह्मणोंसे यात्राकालोचित इष्टि करवाकर वल्कल और मृगचर्म धारण किये और अग्निहोत्रको आगे करके पुत्र-वधुओंसे घिरे हुए राजा धृतराष्ट्र राजभवनसे बाहर निकले

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

agannihotraṃ puraskṛtya valkalājinasaṃvṛtaḥ |

vadhūjanavṛto rājā niryayau bhavanāt tataḥ ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «Поставив впереди Агнихотру (Agnihotra), царь, облачённый в кору и оленью шкуру, вышел из дворца. Окружённый невестками, он отправился в путь, знаменуя сознательный поворот от царского удобства к строгой жизни отречения и долга.»

Word by Word

अग्निहोत्रम्the Agnihotra (sacred fire-rite)

पुरस्कृत्यhaving placed in front / having put foremost

वल्कलाजिनसंवृतःcovered with bark-garments and deer-skin

वधूजनवृतःsurrounded by the daughters-in-law (womenfolk)

राजाthe king

निर्ययौwent out / departed

भवनात्from the palace/house

ततःthen / thereafter

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, by context of the passage)

Agnihotra (sacred fire/rite)

palace (bhavana)

daughters-in-law (vadhūjana)

bark-garments (valkala)

deer-skin (ājina)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma through orderly renunciation: even when leaving worldly life, one keeps sacred obligations (Agnihotra) foremost, showing that detachment is not neglect but a disciplined reorientation of life around duty and spiritual aims.

What is happening in the narrative?

The king departs from the palace for an ascetic/forest-oriented life. He adopts ascetic attire (bark and deer-skin), places the Agnihotra fire in front as a ritual and symbolic guide, and leaves accompanied by his daughters-in-law.