Shloka 8

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Public Request for Consent to Enter the Forest (अनुज्ञा-प्रार्थना)

Devanagari script

अनिशं यत्र पुरुषा गणका लेखकास्तदा | युधिष्ठिरस्य वचनादपृच्छन्त सम तं॑ नृूपम्‌

Transliteration

aniśaṃ yatra puruṣā gaṇakā lekhakās tadā | yudhiṣṭhirasya vacanād apṛcchanta samaṃ taṃ nṛpam ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：在那里，账房与书记时时刻刻都整装待命。奉尤提士提罗之命，他们一再以平和而恭敬的语气询问那位国王——持国王（Dhṛtarāṣṭra）：“这些来求施者，应当赐予什么？”因一切资具早已备齐，持国王一言所指，随从便立刻照数施与——这正是受达摩监督的有序布施之象：慷慨被制度化、可稽核，而非一时冲动。

Word by Word

• अनिशम्: constantly, continually
• अनिशम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनिशम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• पुरुषाः: men, persons
• पुरुषाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गणकाः: accountants, calculators
• गणकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लेखकाः: scribes, writers
• लेखकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेखक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तदा: then, at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• युधिष्ठिरस्य: of Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वचनात्: from (the) command/word
• वचनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अपृच्छन्त: they asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• समम्: together/at the same time; continually (as an adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नृपम्: king
• नृपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• gaṇakāḥ (accountants)
• lekhakāḥ (scribes)
• yācakāḥ (petitioners/beggars) (implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dāna (charitable giving) is presented as a dharmic duty best carried out with discipline: resources are kept ready, decisions are made calmly, and distribution is recorded and administered responsibly—linking compassion with accountability.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Āśramavāsika setting, attendants—accountants and scribes—remain constantly present. Following Yudhiṣṭhira’s directive, they repeatedly consult Dhṛtarāṣṭra about what to give to petitioners, and then dispense the specified gifts promptly.