Mahabharata — Mahaprasthanika Parva, Shloka 43
अध्याय १: महाप्रस्थानारम्भः
The Commencement of the Great Departure
Devanagari script
ततोडग्निर्भरतश्रेष्ठ तत्रैवान्तरधीयत । ययुश्च॒ पाण्डवा वीरास्ततस्ते दक्षिणामुखा:
Transliteration
tato 'gnir bharataśreṣṭha tatraivāntaradhīyata | yayuś ca pāṇḍavā vīrās tatas te dakṣiṇāmukhāḥ ||
Translation
于是，噢婆罗多族之最胜者，那火当场隐没无踪。其后，英勇的般度五子继续前行，面向南方而去。
Word by Word
ततःthen, thereafter
ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (indeclinable)
अग्निःfire
अग्निः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअग्नि
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
भरतश्रेष्ठO best of the Bharatas
भरतश्रेष्ठ:
TypeNoun (vocative epithet)
Rootभरत-श्रेष्ठ
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (indeclinable)
एवindeed, just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (indeclinable)
अन्तर्धीयतdisappeared, vanished
अन्तर्धीयत:
TypeVerb
Rootअन्तर्धा + धा (धा धारणे)
Formलङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद
ययुःwent, proceeded
ययुः:
TypeVerb
Rootया (या गतौ)
Formलिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (indeclinable)
पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas
पाण्डवाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपाण्डव
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
वीराःheroic, brave
वीराः:
TypeAdjective
Rootवीर
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
ततःthen, thereafter
ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (indeclinable)
तेthey
ते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
दक्षिणामुखाःfacing south
दक्षिणामुखाः:
TypeAdjective
Rootदक्षिण-मुख
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
Speaker
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Characters & Entities
A
Agni (fire)P
PāṇḍavasCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores impermanence and disciplined renunciation: even potent symbols like fire can vanish, and the Pāṇḍavas continue without clinging—modeling steadiness and detachment as they move toward their final end in accordance with dharma.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that the fire present there disappears on the spot, and then the Pāṇḍavas proceed onward, now oriented southward, continuing the course of their great departure (mahāprasthāna).