Shloka 8

पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्

The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

पाद्यार्ष्याचमनीयैस्तं स्वागतेन च भारत । तथैव परिजग्राह वन्येन हविषा तदा,भारत! पाद्य, अर्घ्य, आचमनीय, स्वागत-भाषण तथा वन्य हविष्य आदिसे उन्होंने विश्वामित्रजीका सत्कार किया

Transliteration

pādyārṣyācamanaīyais taṃ svāgatena ca bhārata | tathaiva parijagrāha vanyena haviṣā tadā ||

Translation

婆罗多啊，他以常礼相待：洗足之水、阿尔伽供、啜饮净水（ācamanīya），并以言辞致欢迎。与此同时，他又以林中可得之供品加以敬奉。此偈彰显待客之德：纵在荒野，也当量力而行，敬客守礼，保全尊严、恭敬与法（dharma）。

Word by Word

पाद्यwith water for washing the feet (pādya)

अर्घ्यwith an offering of respect (arghya)

आचमनीयैःwith sipping-water (for ācamana)

तम्him

स्वागतेनwith words of welcome / welcome-rite

चand

भारतO Bhārata

तथाthus, in that manner

एवindeed, just

परिजग्राहreceived, welcomed, accepted (honoured)

वन्येनwith forest-produce / wild (items)

हविषाwith an oblation/food-offering

तदाthen

भारतO Bhārata

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Gandharva (speaker)

Bhārata (addressee)

Viśvāmitra (honored guest, per contextual gloss)

pādya

arghya

ācamanīya

svāgata

vanya-havis (forest oblation)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches atithi-dharma: a guest should be honored with respectful offerings and kind words, and one should offer what is available—even simple forest provisions—without neglecting courtesy and ritual propriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

A host receives an honored visitor with formal reception rites—pādya, arghya, ācamanīya, and a welcome—then further honors him with forest-sourced oblations, showing respectful hospitality despite limited resources.