Shloka 9

Jaradkāru Encounters the Pitṛs

Jaratkāru-Pitṛdarśana

Devanagari script

शड्विंस्तव पिता सो5पि तथैवास्ते यतव्रत: । सो<पि राजा स्वनगरं प्रस्थितो गजसाह्दयम्‌,शंंगिन! संयमपूर्वक व्रतका पालन करनेवाले तुम्हारे पिता अभी उसी अवस्थामें बैठे हैं और वे राजा परीक्षित्‌ अपनी राजधानी हस्तिनापुरको चले गये हैं

Transliteration

ṣaḍviṁśas tava pitā so 'pi tathaivāste yatavrataḥ | so 'pi rājā svanagaraṁ prasthito gajasāhṛdayam, śaṅgin |

Translation

“Phụ thân của ngươi nữa—nay đã hai mươi sáu tuổi—vẫn ngồi nguyên trong trạng thái kỷ luật ấy, kiên định với lời thệ. Còn nhà vua cũng đã lên đường về kinh thành của mình, Hastināpura, hỡi người mang cung, với tấm lòng mạnh mẽ như voi.”

Word by Word

षड्विंशत्twenty-six (years)

तवof you/your

पिताfather

सःhe

अपिalso/even

तथाthus/in the same way

एवindeed/just

आस्तेsits/remains

यतव्रतःone of restrained vows; self-controlled

सःhe

अपिalso

राजाking

स्वनगरम्his own city

प्रस्थितःdeparted/set out

गजसाह्वयम्called ‘Gaja’ (i.e., Hastinapura)

शृङ्गिन्O horned one! (vocative epithet)

Speaker

कृश उवाच

Characters & Entities

pitā (the father, unnamed here)

rājā (the king, identified in the Hindi gloss as Parīkṣit)

Hastināpura (implied by the Hindi gloss as the capital)

sva-nagara (the king’s own city)

śaṅga (bow, implied by śaṅgin)

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 the ethical value of steadfast self-restraint (yata-vrata): even amid changing circumstances, one should remain firm in disciplined observance and duty, while rulers proceed to their civic responsibilities.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker informs the addressed ‘bow-bearer’ that his father continues seated in the same vow-bound condition, while the king has set out for his own capital city (understood as Hastināpura), described as great-hearted and powerful.