Mahabharata — Mahaprasthanika Parva, Shloka 183

अध्याय १: महाप्रस्थानारम्भः

The Commencement of the Great Departure

Devanagari script

गमनाय मतिं चक्रे भ्रातरश्षास्य ते तदा | उन धर्मात्मा नरेशने नगर और जनपदके लोगोंको समझा-बुझाकर उनकी अनुमति प्राप्त कर ली। फिर उन्होंने और उनके भाइयोंने सब कुछ त्यागकर महा-प्रस्थान करनेका ही निश्चय किया

Transliteration

gamanāya matiṁ cakre bhrātaraś cāsya te tadā |

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那曰：其时，那些兄弟决意启程。那位具法之王与其诸弟劝谕城中百姓与国中民众，得其允可；遂尽舍一切，坚然选择「大出离」（mahāprasthāna）之道。

Word by Word

• गमनाय: for going / for departure
• गमनाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गमन
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• मतिम्: intention, resolve
• मतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• चक्रे: made, formed (he made up)
• चक्रे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• भ्रातरः: brothers
• भ्रातरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आस्य: of him / his
• आस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• ते: those (they)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Nominative, Plural

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• the brothers (Pāṇḍava brothers, implied)
• the righteous king (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied)
• city (nagara)
• realm/countryside (janapada)
• citizens and subjects (implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even at the height of power, dharma includes knowing when to relinquish control: a righteous ruler seeks the welfare and consent of the people, then renounces possessions and status to pursue the final spiritual journey with detachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

After securing the approval of the city and the wider realm, the king and his brothers decide to abandon worldly responsibilities and undertake the mahāprasthāna—the final departure from the kingdom toward their last journey.