Shloka 40

दानपात्रापात्र-निर्णयः / Determining Worthy Gifts, Recipients, and Permissible Food

Devanagari script

नरयानेन तु ज्येष्ठ: पिता पार्थस्य भारत । अग्रतो धर्मराजस्य गान्धारीसहितो ययौ,भरतनन्दन! कुन्तीपुत्र धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरके ज्येष्ठ पिता (ताऊ) गान्धारीसहित पालकीमें बैठकर उनके आगे-आगे जा रहे थे

Transliteration

narayānena tu jyeṣṭhaḥ pitā pārthasya bhārata | agrato dharmarājasya gāndhārīsahito yayau ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：婆罗多啊，帕尔塔的族中长辈（父系尊长）与甘达丽同乘肩舆，行在法王之前。此景表明尊卑礼序仍被遵守：纵在战后，长者依旧受敬而居前，君王亦按礼恭顺随行。

Word by Word

• नरयानेन: by a palanquin (lit. man-carriage)
• नरयानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरयान
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• ज्येष्ठः: elder
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पिता: father/uncle (paternal elder)
• पिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पार्थस्य: of Partha (Arjuna/Pandava)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अग्रतः: in front/ahead
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः

• धर्मराजस्य: of Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• गान्धारी: with Gandhari
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धारी
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• सहितः: accompanied (together)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ययौ: went
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhārata (Janamejaya as addressee)
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Gāndhārī
• palanquin (narayāna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic social order: elders and senior relatives are accorded precedence and honor, and the ruler himself follows proper decorum. Even after catastrophic conflict, ethical conduct is shown through restraint, respect, and adherence to rightful hierarchy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the senior paternal elder of the Pāṇḍavas (understood as Dhṛtarāṣṭra) travels ahead of King Yudhiṣṭhira in a palanquin, accompanied by Gāndhārī, indicating a formal procession in which the elders are placed in front.