Shloka 5

Virāṭanagara-nivāsa-nirṇaya

Decision to Reside in Virāṭa’s City

Devanagari script

तथा स तु वरॉल्लब्ध्वा धर्मो धर्मभूतां वर: । गत्वा55श्रमं ब्राह्मणेभ्य आचख्यौ सर्वमेव तत्‌,यक्षरूपधारी धर्मसे इस प्रकार वरदान पानेके अनन्तर धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ धर्मपुत्र युधिष्ठिरने आश्रमपर जाकर वह सब समाचार ब्राह्मणोंको बताया

Transliteration

tathā sa tu varāl labdhvā dharmo dharmabhūtāṁ varaḥ | gatvā āśramaṁ brāhmaṇebhya ācakhyau sarvam eva tat ||

Translation

وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—یوں برکتِ ور پا کر، اہلِ دھرم میں برتر دھرمراج یُدھِشٹھِر آشرم کو گئے اور برہمنوں کے سامنے سارا ماجرا بعینہٖ بیان کر دیا۔

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

सःhe

तुbut, indeed

वरात्from the boon

लब्ध्वाhaving obtained

धर्मःDharma (the deity of righteousness)

धर्मभूतानाम्of the righteous (those whose nature is dharma)

वरःbest, excellent

गत्वाhaving gone

आश्रमम्to the hermitage

ब्राह्मणेभ्यःto the Brahmins

आचख्यौtold, related

सर्वम्all

एवindeed, just

तत्that (matter/news)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharma

Āśrama (hermitage)

Brāhmaṇas

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 dharmic procedure: after receiving a boon or achieving an outcome, one should act transparently—reporting the matter truthfully to learned and impartial witnesses—so that conduct remains aligned with righteousness rather than secrecy or self-interest.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Dharma, having obtained a boon, goes to an āśrama and informs the Brahmins of the entire event/news, setting the stage for the next developments by placing the account before respected ascetics.