Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 173 Shloka 12 - Mahabharata | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 12

Devanagari script

निश्चक्राम पुरात्‌ तस्माद्‌ यथा देवपतिस्तथा । आससाद कुरुक्षेत्रे ततः शान्तनवं नृप:,वे देवराज इन्द्रकी भाँति अपनी राजधानीसे बाहर निकले और यथासमय कुरुक्षेत्रमें शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्मजीके पास जा पहुँचे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

niścakrāma purāt tasmād yathā devapatistathā |

āsasāda kurukṣetre tataḥ śāntanavaṁ nṛpaḥ ||

Translation

निश्चक्राम पुरात् तस्माद् यथा देवपतिस्तथा । आससाद कुरुक्षेत्रे ततः शान्तनवं नृपः ॥

Word by Word

निश्चक्रामwent out, departed

पुरात्from the city

तस्मात्from that (place)

यथाas, just as

देवपतिःthe lord of the gods (Indra)

तथाso, likewise

आससादreached, came up to

कुरुक्षेत्रेin Kurukṣetra

ततःthen, thereafter

शान्तनवम्the son of Śantanu (Bhīṣma)

नृपःthe king

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Indra (Devapati)

Kurukṣetra

Bhīṣma (Śāntanava, son of Śāntanu)

the king (nṛpaḥ)

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 ruler should act with resolve and humility, seeking guidance from a venerable authority rooted in dharma; the comparison to Indra highlights dignified, duty-bound leadership.

What is happening in the narrative?

The king departs from his capital and travels to Kurukṣetra, where he approaches Bhīṣma (Śāntanu’s son), setting the stage for receiving instruction and counsel.