Shloka 9

कृपकृपी-जननम्

The Birth of Kṛpa and Kṛpī; Kṛpa’s Attainment of Astras

Devanagari script

प्रतस्थे सह पत्नीभ्यामन्रुवंस्तं च तापसा: । उपर्युपरि गच्छन्त: शैलराजमुदड्मुखा:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

pratasthe saha patnībhyām anuvraṁs taṁ ca tāpasāḥ |

uparyupari gacchantaḥ śailarājam udanmukhāḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Nghe vậy, vua Pāṇḍu lập tức lên đường cùng hai hoàng hậu; các bậc khổ hạnh cũng theo ngài mà đi. Tiến bước trên những tầng cao của dãy núi chúa, mặt hướng phương bắc, họ tiếp tục hành trình. Thấy cuộc lữ hành bắc tiến vượt qua các dãy Himalaya ấy, các tapasvin cất lời (như câu chuyện còn tiếp).

Word by Word

• प्रतस्थे: set out / departed
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु √स्था)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), perfect (narrative past), 3, singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• पत्नीभ्याम्: with (his) two wives
• पत्नीभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी
• Form: feminine, instrumental, dual

• अनुव्रुवन्: following
• अनुव्रुवन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√व्रज (धातु √व्रज)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle, parasmaipada), masculine, nominative, plural

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तापसाः: ascetics
• तापसाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• उपरि: above / on top
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि

• उपरि: above (repeated: higher and higher)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि

• गच्छन्तः: going
• गच्छन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु √गम्)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle, parasmaipada), masculine, nominative, plural

• शैलराजम्: the king of mountains (Himalaya)
• शैलराजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैलराज
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• उदङ्मुखाः: north-facing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदङ्मुख
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍu
• Pāṇḍu's two wives (Kuntī and Mādrī)
• tāpasāḥ (ascetic sages)
• Śailarāja (Himālaya, king of mountains)
• northward direction (udan/uttara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic movement from worldly kingship toward restraint and spiritual striving: a king, accompanied by his wives and guided by ascetics, turns northward—symbolically toward higher aims—suggesting that ethical life can culminate in renunciation and disciplined pursuit of transcendence.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing the preceding matter, Pāṇḍu immediately departs with his two wives. Ascetic sages accompany him. They travel northward over the Himalayan heights, and the next lines introduce what the sages say upon witnessing this journey.