Shloka 38

Devanagari script

निर्ययुर्नगराच्छूरा: कौरवा: पाण्डवै: सह | उद्यानवनमासाद्य विसृज्य च महाजनम्‌,यह सुनकर युधिष्ठिरने 'एवमस्तु” कहकर दुर्योधनकी बात मान ली। फिर वे सभी शूरवीर कौरव पाण्डवोंके साथ नगराकार रथों तथा स्वदेशमें उत्पन्न श्रेष्ठ हाथियोंपर सवार हो नगरसे निकले और उद्यान-वनके समीप पहुँचकर साथ आये हुए प्रजावर्गके बड़े-बड़े लोगोंको विदा करके जैसे सिंह पर्वतकी गुफामें प्रवेश करे, उसी प्रकार वे सब वीर भ्राता उद्यानकी शोभा देखते हुए उसमें प्रविष्ट हुए

Transliteration

niryayur nagarāc chūrāḥ kauravāḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ saha | udyānavanam āsādya visṛjya ca mahājanam ||

Translation

毗湿摩耶那说道：英勇的俱卢族人与般度族人一同自城中出发。抵达游乐园林与林野之后，他们遣散了随行而来的城中长老与显贵之民；随后诸位兄弟步入园中，目睹其华美——如雄狮入山之洞窟。

Word by Word

निर्ययुःwent out, departed

नगरात्from the city

शूराःbrave (men)

कौरवाःthe Kauravas

पाण्डवैःwith the Pandavas

सहtogether with

उद्यानवनम्the garden and forest (park-wood)

आसाद्यhaving reached/approached

विसृज्यhaving dismissed/sent away

चand

महाजनम्the great crowd/people (retinue)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kauravas

Pāṇḍavas

nagara (city)

udyāna-vana (garden/forest park)

mahājana (leading citizens/elders)

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 contrast between public decorum and private intention: leaders may display unity and propriety before the community (mahājana), yet decisive actions often occur away from public scrutiny. It invites vigilance about dharma—true righteousness is consistent in both public and private spheres.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas leave the city together and reach a garden-forest. After arriving, they dismiss the prominent citizens who had come along, and then the brothers enter the grove to view its beauty—setting the stage for events that will unfold away from the public eye.