Shloka 8

Subhadrā-vilāpaḥ — Subhadrā’s Lament for Abhimanyu

Droṇa-parva 55

Devanagari script

तयाभिवादित: कन्यामभ्यनन्दद्‌ यथाविधि । तत्सलिज्ञाभिराशीर्भिरिष्टाभिरभित: स्थिताम्‌,आकर उसने राजाको प्रणाम किया। राजाने उसके अनुरूप अभीष्ट आशीर्वाद देकर अपने पार्श्रभागमें खड़ी हुई उस कन्याका विधिपूर्वक अभिनन्दन किया

Transliteration

tayābhivāditaḥ kanyām abhyānandad yathāvidhi | tat-salijñābhir āśīrbhir iṣṭābhir abhitaḥ sthitām ||

Translation

तयाभिवादितः कन्यामभ्यनन्दद् यथाविधि। तत्सलज्ज्ञाभिराशीर्भिरिष्टाभिरभितः स्थिताम्॥

Word by Word

तयाby her

अभिवादितःhaving been saluted / greeted

कन्याम्the maiden

अभ्यनन्दत्he welcomed / congratulated

यथाas, according to

विधिrule, prescribed manner

तत्that (her/that one)

सलिलज्ञाभिःby (women) skilled in water/ablutions (i.e., ritual attendants)

आशीर्भिःwith blessings

इष्टाभिःdesired, auspicious

अभितःaround, on all sides

स्थिताम्standing, situated

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyasa (speaker)

a king (unnamed in this verse)

a maiden (kanyā, unnamed in this verse)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic etiquette: a ruler should respond to respectful greeting with proper, rule-based welcome and benevolent blessings, maintaining dignity and moral order through correct conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

A maiden offers respectful salutations to a king; the king, following prescribed custom, formally welcomes her and grants her wished-for blessings as she stands near him.