Shloka 6

Devanagari script

स्वस्तिवाच्याहतो विप्रान्‌ प्रयाहि भरतर्षभ । दुर्हदामप्रहर्षाय सुह्ृदां नन्दनाय च,'भरतकुलभूषण! पूजनीय ब्राह्मणोंसे स्वस्तिवाचन कराकर यात्रा करो। तुम्हारी यह यात्रा शत्रुओंका शोक और सुहृदोंका आनन्द बढ़ानेवाली हो

Transliteration

svastivācyāhato viprān prayāhi bharatarṣabha | durhṛdām apraharṣāya suhṛdāṁ nandanāya ca ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O bull among the Bharatas, have the venerable brāhmaṇas pronounce auspicious blessings and then set forth. May this journey bring no joy to your ill-wishers, and may it increase the delight of your well-wishers.”

Word by Word

स्वस्तिwell-being; auspiciousness

वाच्यto be made to utter/recite (to be asked to say)

आहतःhaving addressed/approached (lit. having struck upon; idiomatically: having greeted/solicited)

विप्रान्Brahmins

प्रयाहिgo forth; set out

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

दुर्हृदाम्of ill-wishers/enemies

अप्रहर्षायfor (their) non-joy; for lack of delight (i.e., for grief)

सुहृदाम्of friends/well-wishers

नन्दनायfor delight; for giving joy

चand

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Bharata lineage (address: bharatarṣabha)

ill-wishers/enemies (durhṛdaḥ)

well-wishers/friends (suhṛdaḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Before undertaking an important journey, one should seek auspicious blessings from learned and venerable brāhmaṇas; such adherence to proper rite and counsel supports dharma and strengthens the morale of allies while denying satisfaction to adversaries.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses a Bharata prince/leader, instructing him to depart only after receiving formal benedictions (svastivācana) from brāhmaṇas, framing the journey as one that should hearten friends and frustrate enemies.