Shloka 20

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Śrāddha Request and Bhīma’s Objection (Āśramavāsika-parva, Adhyāya 17)

Devanagari script

गान्धार्या:संनिकर्षे तु निषसाद कुशे सुखम्‌

Transliteration

gāndhāryāḥ saṃnikarṣe tu niṣasāda kuśe sukham

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：随后，他在甘陀诃梨近旁，安然坐在铺着库沙草的席榻上——这正是林居苦行生活中，清简自持与恭敬相依的写照。

Word by Word

• गान्धार्याः: of Gandhari
• गान्धार्याः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धारी
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• संनिकर्षे: in the proximity/nearby
• संनिकर्षे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिकर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• निषसाद: sat down
• निषसाद: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कुशे: on/among kusa grass
• कुशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सुखम्: comfortably/with ease
• सुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Gāndhārī
• kuśa grass

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic tone of āśrama-life: simplicity (a kuśa seat instead of luxury) and respectful closeness to elders, suggesting that dignity and composure can be maintained even amid grief and withdrawal from worldly power.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Ashramavāsika setting, the narrator describes someone (contextually, a principal elder in the forest-retirement episode) taking a seat on kuśa grass near Gāndhārī, indicating a quiet, austere moment of settling together in the hermitage environment.