Shloka 49

धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)

Devanagari script

सो<हं वनं गमिष्यामि निर्बन्धुर्ज्ञातिसंक्षये । न हि मेडन्यद्‌ भवेच्छेयो वनाभ्युपगमादृते

Transliteration

so 'haṁ vanaṁ gamiṣyāmi nirbandhur jñātisaṁkṣaye | na hi me 'nyad bhavec chreyo vanābhyupagamād ṛte ||

Translation

“因此我将入林而去——亲族尽灭，我已无所依傍。于我而言，退隐森林之外别无更善之途；除归依林居之生，我不见任何真实之福。”

Word by Word

• सः: he (I myself, in apposition)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वनम्: to the forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गमिष्यामि: I shall go
• गमिष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• निर्बन्धुः: without kinsmen
• निर्बन्धुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्बन्धु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ज्ञाति-संक्षये: in the destruction of (my) kinsmen
• ज्ञाति-संक्षये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञाति-संक्षय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

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

• मे: for me / to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: might be / could be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Liṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• श्रेयः: better (good)
• श्रेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वन-अभ्युपगमात्: than going to the forest
• वन-अभ्युपगमात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन-अभ्युपगम
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• ऋते: except/without
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऋते

Speaker

धघतयाट्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• vana (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When one’s social world collapses through the destruction of kin, the speaker identifies śreyas (true welfare) not in further worldly striving but in withdrawal—seeking purification, restraint, and perspective through forest-life (a traditional path of renunciation and austerity).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the wake of jñāti-saṁkṣaya (the ruin of relatives caused by the great war), the speaker declares an intention to leave society and go to the forest, judging that no other course offers genuine good for him in such a devastated familial and moral landscape.