Shloka 11

Hiḍimbā’s Petition, Conditional Union with Bhīma, and the Birth-Naming of Ghaṭotkaca (आदि पर्व, अध्याय १४३)

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच धृतराष्ट्रस्य तं काममनुबुध्य युधिष्ठिर: । आत्मनश्लासहायत्वं तथेति प्रत्युवाच तम्‌,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! युधिष्छिर धृतराष्ट्रकी उस इच्छाका रहस्य समझ गये, परंतु अपनेको असहाय जानकर उन्होंने “बहुत अच्छा” कहकर उनकी बात मान ली

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: Dhṛtarāṣṭrasya taṃ kāmam anubudhya Yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | ātmanaś cāsahāyatvaṃ tathā iti pratyuvāca tam ||

Translation

毗舍波耶那说：由提施提罗洞悉持国之愿背后的用心；然而自知势孤力弱，便答曰：“如是。”遂予以允诺。

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

धृतराष्ट्रस्यof Dhṛtarāṣṭra

तम्that

कामम्desire, wish

अनुबुध्यhaving understood, realizing

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

आत्मनःof himself

असहायत्वम्helplessness, lack of support

तथाthus, so

इतिthus (quotative)

प्रत्युवाचreplied, answered

तम्to him / that one

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Yudhiṣṭhira

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?

Understanding another’s intention does not always grant the freedom to oppose it; ethical action may be limited by one’s actual power and situation. Yudhiṣṭhira’s assent reflects restraint and pragmatic compliance rather than wholehearted endorsement.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra expresses a wish with an underlying motive. Yudhiṣṭhira perceives that motive, but feeling unable to counter it effectively, he responds “tathā”—accepting the request and moving the situation forward.