Shloka 17

पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्

The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच देवतातिथिपित्रर्थ याज्यार्थ च पयस्विनी

Transliteration

Vasiṣṭha uvāca devatātithipitrartha yājyārtha ca payasvinī

Translation

Sinabi ni Vasiṣṭha: “Masagana siya sa gatas, at itinalaga para sa mga banal na gawain—nararapat ihandog para sa mga diyos, para sa paggalang sa mga panauhin, at para sa mga ritwal na ukol sa mga ninuno.”

Word by Word

वसिष्ठःVasiṣṭha

उवाचsaid

देवतa god / divine being

अतिथिपित्रर्थfor the sake of guests and ancestors

याज्यार्थfor the purpose of sacrifice / worship

चand

पयस्विनीthe milk-giving one (cow)

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vasiṣṭha

deities (devatāḥ)

guests (atithayaḥ)

ancestors (pitaraḥ)

milch cow / milk-rich offering (payasvinī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 dharma expressed through rightful use of resources: what is nourishing and valuable (symbolized by a milk-rich cow) should be directed toward sacred obligations—worship of the gods, honoring guests, and performing ancestral rites—rather than toward selfish ends.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha, speaking in the episode, identifies the cow as especially suitable for ritual and duty-bound purposes, emphasizing its role in offerings connected with gods, guests, and ancestors.