Shloka 18

Gāndhārī’s Petition for a Vision of the Departed (गान्धार्याः प्रार्थना—दिव्यदर्शनप्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

सहदेव: प्रियस्तस्या: पुत्रेभ्योईधिक एव तु

Transliteration

Sahadevaḥ priyastasyāḥ putrebhyo ’dhika eva tu.

Translation

犹提士提罗说道：“萨诃提婆为她所钟爱——确实，甚至胜过她自己的儿子。”在《林居品》（Āśramavāsika）的伦理脉络中，此句强调：情爱与信任能够超越血缘，显出品格与奉侍那种静默的力量，使人在哀痛与出离之际仍能维系关系。

Word by Word

• सहदेवः: Sahadeva
• सहदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रियः: dear, beloved
• प्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रेभ्यः: to/for (her) sons
• पुत्रेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• अधिकः: more, greater (than)
• अधिकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तु: but, however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sahadeva
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• tasyāḥ (an unnamed woman referenced in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Affection and esteem are earned through conduct and devoted service; moral character can create bonds stronger than those formed by birth alone.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira remarks on the special regard someone (referred to as “she”) had for Sahadeva, stating that her fondness for him exceeded even her affection for her own sons.