Shloka 5

धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनप्रस्थानम् — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Departure for Forest Life

Devanagari script

अचिन्तयंश्व जननीं ततस्ते पाण्डुनन्दना: । कथं नु वृद्धमिथुनं वहत्यतिकृशा पृथा

Transliteration

acintayaṃś ca jananīṃ tatas te pāṇḍu-nandanāḥ | kathaṃ nu vṛddha-mithunaṃ vahaty ati-kṛśā pṛthā ||

Translation

अचिन्तयंश्च जननीं ततस्ते पाण्डुनन्दनाः। कथं नु वृद्धमिथुनं वहत्यतिकृशा पृथा॥

Word by Word

• अचिन्तयन्: they thought/pondered
• अचिन्तयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• जननीम्: mother
• जननीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जननी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• ते: those/they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पाण्डुनन्दनाः: sons of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुनन्दनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुनन्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• नु: indeed/now (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• वृद्धमिथुनम्: the aged couple
• वृद्धमिथुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धमिथुन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वहति: carries/bears
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अतिकृशा: very emaciated
• अतिकृशा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिकृश
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पृथा: Pṛthā (Kuntī)
• पृथा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍu-nandanāḥ (the Pāṇḍavas)
• jananī (their mother)
• Pṛthā (Kuntī)
• vṛddha-mithuna (the aged couple)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharma expressed as compassion and responsibility: even amid renunciation and hardship, the moral impulse to protect and care for one’s mother and elders remains central.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the Pāṇḍavas, thinking of their mother Pṛthā (Kuntī), worry about her physical frailty and question how she can manage to support and accompany an elderly couple during their difficult forest life.