Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट्रं पुरस्कृत्य गान्धारीं च यशस्विनीम्‌ । मातरं च पृथां धीमान्‌ भ्रातृश्न पुरुषर्षभान्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ puraskṛtya gāndhārīṃ ca yaśasvinīm | mātaraṃ ca pṛthāṃ dhīmān bhrātṝṃś ca puruṣarṣabhān, vibho | kurukulānandano buddhimān yudhiṣṭhiro rājā dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ yaśasvinīṃ gāndhārīṃ devīṃ mātaraṃ kuntīṃ tathā puruṣapravarān bhrātṝn agre kṛtvā paścāt bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇo buddhimān viduro yuyutsuḥ sātyakiś ca saha gacchanti sma |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Đặt Dhṛtarāṣṭra đi trước, lại có Gāndhārī lừng danh và mẹ Pṛthā (Kuntī), cùng các anh em dũng mãnh như bò mộng—hỡi bậc hùng lực—vua Yudhiṣṭhira, người trí tuệ, niềm tự hào của dòng Kuru, tiến bước để họ dẫn đường. Phía sau họ là Thánh Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Vidura thận trọng, Yuyutsu và Sātyaki cùng theo. Cảnh ấy nêu rõ sự nhã nhặn và tiết chế theo dharma của Yudhiṣṭhira: dẫu đã thắng trận, ngài vẫn tôn kính bậc trưởng thượng và người chịu tang, giữ gìn trật tự xã hội và đạo lý bằng cung cách kính cẩn.

Word by Word

• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुरस्कृत्य: having placed in front / having led
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुरस् + कृ
• Form: Indeclinable, क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• गान्धारीम्: Gandhari
• गान्धारीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धारी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• यशस्विनीम्: glorious, renowned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्विनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• पृथाम्: Pritha (Kunti)
• पृथाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• धीमान्: wise, intelligent
• धीमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भ्रातॄन्: brothers
• भ्रातॄन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• पुरुषर्षभान्: bulls among men / best of men
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विभो: O mighty one / O Lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कुरुकुलनन्दन: O delight of the Kuru lineage
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुकुलनन्दन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• बुद्धिमान्: intelligent
• बुद्धिमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्धिमन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Gāndhārī
• Pṛthā (Kuntī)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pāṇḍava brothers
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Vidura
• Yuyutsu
• Sātyaki
• Kuru dynasty

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in triumph, a ruler should uphold dharma through humility and proper honor: Yudhiṣṭhira gives precedence to elders and the bereaved (Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī), modeling ethical kingship grounded in restraint, respect, and social harmony.

What is happening in the narrative?

A formal movement/procession is described: Yudhiṣṭhira proceeds with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Gāndhārī, and Kuntī placed in front along with the Pāṇḍava brothers, while Kṛṣṇa, Vidura, Yuyutsu, and Sātyaki follow behind—highlighting protocol and the emotional-political delicacy after the war.