Shloka 5

Devanagari script

राजर्षीणां पुराणानामनुयातु गति नृपः । राजर्षीणां हि सर्वेषामन्ते वनमुपाश्रय:

Transliteration

rājarṣīṇāṃ purāṇānām anuyātu gatiṃ nṛpaḥ | rājarṣīṇāṃ hi sarveṣām ante vanam upāśrayaḥ ||

Translation

Вьяса сказал: «Пусть царь последует древнему пути царственных риши. Ибо воистину для всех царственных риши последним прибежищем в конце жизни бывает лес».

Word by Word

राजर्षीणाम्of the royal sages

पुराणानाम्of the ancient (ones)

अनुयातुlet (him) follow

गतिम्the course/way

नृपःthe king

राजर्षीणाम्of the royal sages

हिindeed/for

सर्वेषाम्of all

अन्तेat the end

वनम्the forest

उपाश्रयःlet (him) resort to / take refuge in

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

nṛpa (the king)

rājarṣi (royal sages)

vana (forest)

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?

A righteous king should follow the established dharmic precedent of the ancient royal sages: after fulfilling worldly duties, one should withdraw from power and take refuge in the forest—embracing restraint, simplicity, and preparation for life’s final stage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa counsels the king to adopt the traditional course followed by exemplary kings of the past, indicating that the proper culmination of a royal life is retirement to the forest (vānaprastha), rather than continued attachment to rule and comfort.