Shloka 8

धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनप्रस्थानम् — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Departure for Forest Life

Devanagari script

एवं तेषां कथयतामौत्सुक्यमभवत्‌ तदा । गमने चाभवद्‌ बुद्धिर्धतराष्ट्रदिदृक्षया,इस प्रकार बात करते-करते उनके मनमें बड़ी उत्कण्ठा हो गयी और उन्होंने धृतराष्ट्रके दर्शनकी इच्छासे वनमें जानेका विचार कर लिया

Transliteration

evaṁ teṣāṁ kathayatām autsukyam abhavat tadā | gamane cābhavad buddhir dhṛtarāṣṭra-didṛkṣayā ||

Translation

Cứ thế, khi họ trò chuyện, trong lòng dâng lên một nỗi khắc khoải lớn; và vì mong được yết kiến Dhṛtarāṣṭra, họ quyết định vào rừng.

Word by Word

एवम्thus

तेषाम्of them

कथयताम्while (they) were speaking/telling

औत्सुक्यम्eagerness/curiosity

अभवत्arose/was

तदाthen

गमनेin/with regard to going

चand

अभवत्arose/was

बुद्धिःthought/resolve

धृतराष्ट्रof Dhritarashtra

दिदृक्षयाwith the desire to see

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

forest

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 dharma expressed as respectful concern for elders: longing becomes ethically directed into action—seeking an elder not for power or gain, but to honor, reconcile, and fulfill familial responsibility even after conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

While discussing matters among themselves, the characters become increasingly eager and decide to go to the forest, motivated by the wish to meet and see Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who is living there in retirement.