Shloka 21

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Śrāddha Request and Bhīma’s Objection (Āśramavāsika-parva, Adhyāya 17)

Devanagari script

तेषां संश्रवणे चापि निषेदुर्विदुरादय:

Transliteration

teṣāṃ saṃśravaṇe cāpi niṣedur vidurādayaḥ

Translation

Và khi nghe kể cả những việc ấy, Vidura cùng những người khác cũng ngồi xuống—lặng lẽ, trầm mặc—như để đón nhận câu chuyện đang mở ra bằng sự chăm chú nghiêm cẩn và cảm nhận trọn vẹn sức nặng đạo lý mà nó mang theo.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• संश्रवणे: in/at the hearing (of it/them)
• संश्रवणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संश्रवण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• निषेदुः: sat down
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-षद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural

• विदुर-आदयः: Vidura and others
• विदुर-आदयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदुर + आदि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical discipline of attentive listening: when weighty matters of dharma, loss, and renunciation are heard, the proper response is composure, receptivity, and restraint—symbolized by sitting down in sober attention.

What is happening in the narrative?

As Vaiśampāyana continues the account, Vidura and the other listeners, upon hearing what has been described, take their seats—indicating that the narration has reached a serious point and the audience is settling into focused, grave attention.