Shloka 14

गान्धारीपुत्रोत्पत्तिः — The Birth of Gāndhārī’s Hundred Sons (and Yuyutsu); Omens and Counsel on Succession

Devanagari script

शूलस्थ: स तु धर्मात्मा कालेन महता ततः । निराहारो<पि विप्रर्षिमरणं नाभ्यपद्यत,धर्मात्मा ब्रह्मर्षि माण्डव्य दीर्घकालतक उस शूलके अग्रभागपर बैठे रहे। वहाँ भोजन न मिलनेपर भी उनकी मृत्यु नहीं हुई

Transliteration

śūlasthaḥ sa tu dharmātmā kālena mahatā tataḥ | nirāhāro ’pi viprarṣir maraṇaṃ nābhyapadyata ||

Translation

శూలంపై నిలిచిన ఆ ధర్మాత్మ మహర్షి ఎంతో దీర్ఘకాలం అక్కడే ఉన్నాడు. ఆహారం లేకున్నా ఆ బ్రాహ్మణర్షి మరణానికి లోనుకాలేదు—అంతటి తపోబలం, ధర్మస్థైర్యం అతనిలో ఉండెను.

Word by Word

शूलस्थःsituated on the stake

सःhe

तुbut/indeed

धर्मात्माthe righteous-souled one

कालेनby/with time

महतāgreat/long

ततःthen/thereafter

निराहारःwithout food

अपिeven/also

विप्रर्षि-मरणम्death of the brahmin-sage (i.e., the sage's death)

नnot

अभ्यपद्यतbefell/occurred (to him)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Māṇḍavya (brahmarṣi)

śūla (stake)

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?

The verse highlights the moral and spiritual force of dharma and tapas: a truly righteous ascetic can endure extreme suffering without being broken, suggesting that inner discipline and ethical steadfastness can transcend bodily limits.

What is happening in the narrative?

Māṇḍavya, a brahmin-seer described as dharmātmā, has been placed upon a stake. Despite the passage of a long time and the absence of food, he does not die, underscoring his extraordinary ascetic power and setting up the wider episode concerning justice and the consequences of actions.