वैशंपायन उवाच
एवम् उक्त्वा सुदुःखार्तो निःश्वासपरमो नृपः ॥
अवेक्षमाणः कुन्तीं च माद्रीं च समभाषत ॥
कौसल्या विदुरः क्षत्ता राजा च सह बन्धुभिः ॥
आर्या सत्यवती भीष्मस् ते च राजपुरोहिताः ॥
ब्राह्मणाश् च महात्मानः सोमपाः संशितव्रताः ॥
पौरवृद्धाश् च ये तत्र निवसन्त्य् अस्मदाश्रयाः ॥
प्रसाद्य सर्वे वक्तव्याः पाण्डुः प्रव्रजितो वनम् ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
evam uktvā suduḥkhārto niḥśvāsaparamo nṛpaḥ ||
avekṣamāṇaḥ kuntīṃ ca mādrīṃ ca samabhāṣata ||
kausalyā viduraḥ kṣattā rājā ca saha bandhubhiḥ ||
āryā satyavatī bhīṣmas te ca rājapurohitāḥ ||
brāhmaṇāś ca mahātmānaḥ somapāḥ saṃśitavratāḥ ||
pauravṛddhāś ca ye tatra nivasanty asmadāśrayāḥ ||
prasādya sarve vaktavyāḥ pāṇḍuḥ pravrajito vanam ||
"Having thus spoken, the deeply grieving, deeply sighing king, looking upon Kunti and Madri, said: 'Kausalya, Vidura the kshattar, the king with his kin, the venerable Satyavati, Bhishma and the royal purohitas, and the brahmins, great of soul, drinkers of soma, strict in their vows, and the elders of the citizens who dwell there under our protection -- having conciliated them, all of them must be told: Pandu has gone forth to the forest.'"
a5c6e3d402dd · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:30:27 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here Pandu, having resolved, attends to the proper notification of his elders. It is telling that even in renouncing the world he observes courtesy and duty: he does not depart willfully and in secret, but bids that all who are owed reverence be told, and "conciliated" (prasadya). This shows that true renunciation does not annul respect for elders and the bonds of dharma: one who leaves the world should leave it worthily, without wounding those who love him. Telling too is the completeness of the list -- from Bhishma and Satyavati down to the elders of the citizens: Pandu remembers everyone under his protection, down to the last. Thus scripture shows that even at the hour of renunciation the noble remain attentive to duty and to people.