Shloka 11

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Public Request for Consent to Enter the Forest (अनुज्ञा-प्रार्थना)

Devanagari script

एवं स वसुधाराभिरर्वर्षमाणो नृपाम्बुद: । तर्पयामास विद्रांस्तान्‌ वर्षन्‌ सस्यमिवाम्बुद:

Transliteration

evaṁ sa vasudhārābhir avarṣamāṇo nṛpāmbudaḥ | tarpayāmāsa viprāṁs tān varṣan sasyam ivāmbudaḥ ||

Translation

ఇలా ఆ రాజు—మేఘంలా—ధనధారలను కురిపిస్తూ ఆ బ్రాహ్మణులను తృప్తిపరచెను; మేఘం వర్షించి పంటలను సస్యశ్యామలం చేయునట్లు.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वसुधाराभिः: with streams of wealth
• वसुधाराभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधारा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• अवर्षमाणः: raining down, showering
• अवर्षमाणः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नृपाम्बुदः: the king-cloud (cloud-like king)
• नृपाम्बुदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + अम्बुद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तर्पयामास: satisfied, gratified
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप्
• Form: लिट् (perfect), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विद्रान्: the learned men
• विद्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वर्षन्: raining, showering
• वर्षन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सस्यम्: the crop, grain
• सस्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सस्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अम्बुदः: a cloud
• अम्बुदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied king)
• Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)
• Wealth (vasu)
• Cloud (ambuda)
• Crops/fields (sasya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises dāna as a royal duty: a righteous king should distribute wealth so that the learned and needy are sustained, just as timely rain sustains agriculture. Generosity is portrayed as life-giving and socially stabilizing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the king (contextually Dhṛtarāṣṭra) giving abundant gifts—likened to rainfall—thereby satisfying the assembled brāhmaṇas, who are compared to crops nourished by a cloud.