Shloka 21

धृतराष्ट्रस्य सत्कारः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra Honored in the Post-war Court

Devanagari script

वे उनकी सेवामें पहलेकी ही भाँति सुखभोगप्रद फलके गूदे, हलके पानक (मीठे शर्बत) और अन्यान्य विचित्र प्रकारके भोजन प्रस्तुत करते थे

Transliteration

te teṣāṁ sevāyāṁ pūrvavat sukhabhogapradāni phalaguḍāni laghupānakāni (madhuraśarbatāni) anyāni ca vicitrāṇi bhojanāni prastāvayanti sma

Translation

ویشَمپاین نے کہا—وہ پہلے کی طرح خدمت میں راحت بخش پھلوں کا گودا، ہلکے پانک (میٹھے شربت) اور دیگر طرح طرح کے کھانے پیش کرتے تھے۔

Word by Word

तेthey

उनof them / for them

सेवायाम्in service

पूर्ववत्as before

सुखभोगप्रदान्giving pleasurable enjoyment

फल-गुदान्fruit-pulps

लघुlight (easy to digest)

पानकम्sweet drink / sherbet

अन्यानिother

विचित्र-प्रकारकानिof various kinds

भोजनानिfoods

प्रस्तुतprepared / made ready

कुर्वन्तिthey do / they offer

स्मindeed / used to (past-habit marker)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

food offerings (fruit-pulp preparations, sweet drinks, varied dishes)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steady seva (service) and respect toward elders is a form of dharma: even in a life of withdrawal and austerity, caretaking that preserves dignity and well-being is ethically valued when done consistently and without display.

What is happening in the narrative?

The attendants continue their earlier routine of caring for the elders/renunciants, bringing them comforting foods and light sweet drinks, indicating an ongoing household-like support system even within the forest-ashrama setting.