Shloka 23

अध्याय १५ (Āśramavāsika-parva): धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनवासानुज्ञायाचनम् — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s renewed plea for consent to forest-dwelling

Devanagari script

अस्मानुत्सृज्य राज्यं च स्नुषा हीमा यशस्विनि । कथं वत्स्यसि दुर्गेषु वनेष्वद्य प्रसीद मे

Transliteration

asmān utsṛjya rājyaṃ ca snuṣā hīmā yaśasvini | kathaṃ vatsyasi durgeṣu vaneṣv adya prasīda me ||

Translation

“显赫而有名望的夫人啊！若舍弃我们、舍弃此国、舍弃你的儿媳们，你今日如何能在那难行的深林中度日？怜悯我们吧，息怒宽心，留在此处。”

Word by Word

• अस्मान्: us
• अस्मान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Plural

• उत्सृज्य: having abandoned/left
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-√सृज्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), —, —, —

• राज्यम्: the kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• स्नुषाः: daughters-in-law
• स्नुषाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नुषा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• ही: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ही

• अमा: at home/near (here: with us, at home)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमा

• यशस्विनि: O illustrious one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्विन्
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• वत्स्यसि: will you dwell/live?
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस्
• Form: Future (लृट्), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दुर्गेषु: in difficult places/fastnesses
• दुर्गेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• वनेषु: in forests
• वनेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• अद्य: today/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• प्रसीद: be gracious/please relent
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√सद्
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• yaśasvinī (illustrious lady; addressed figure)
• rājya (the kingdom)
• snuṣāḥ (daughters-in-law)
• vana (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between renunciation and relational responsibility: even a revered person’s withdrawal to the forest is questioned when it appears to abandon dependents and social duties, and compassion is invoked as a dharmic reason to remain.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker appeals to an illustrious woman not to depart for the difficult forests, arguing that leaving behind the family (including daughters-in-law) and the kingdom would be too harsh; the plea asks her to relent and stay.