Mahabharata 1.131.6–10

Saṃbhava-parva (vāraṇāvata-gamana) (The Pāṇḍavas' Departure to Vāraṇāvata)1.131.6–10

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Mahabharata · 1.131.6–10

॥

Devanāgarī

यदा त्व् अमन्यत नृपो जातकौतूहला इति ॥
उवाचैनान् अथ तदा पाण्डवान् अम्बिकासुतः ॥
ममेमे पुरुषा नित्यं कथयन्ति पुनः पुनः ॥
रमणीयतरं लोके नगरं वारणावतम् ॥
ते तात यदि मन्यध्वम् उत्सवं वारणावते ॥
सगणाः सानुयात्राश् च विहरध्वं यथामराः ॥
ब्राह्मणेभ्यश् च रत्नानि गायनेभ्यश् च सर्वशः ॥
प्रयच्छध्वं यथाकामं देवा इव सुवर्चसः ॥
कं चित् कालं विहृत्यैवम् अनुभूय परां मुदम् ॥
इदं वै हास्तिनपुरं सुखिनः पुनर् एष्यथ ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

yadā tv amanyata nṛpo jātakautūhalā iti ||
uvācainān atha tadā pāṇḍavān ambikāsutaḥ ||
mameme puruṣā nityaṃ kathayanti punaḥ punaḥ ||
ramaṇīyataraṃ loke nagaraṃ vāraṇāvatam ||
te tāta yadi manyadhvam utsavaṃ vāraṇāvate ||
sagaṇāḥ sānuyātrāś ca viharadhvaṃ yathāmarāḥ ||
brāhmaṇebhyaś ca ratnāni gāyanebhyaś ca sarvaśaḥ ||
prayacchadhvaṃ yathākāmaṃ devā iva suvarcasaḥ ||
kaṃ cit kālaṃ vihṛtyaivam anubhūya parāṃ mudam ||
idaṃ vai hāstinapuraṃ sukhinaḥ punar eṣyatha ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

यदा तु अमन्यत नृपः जातकौतूहलाः इतिyadā tu amanyata nṛpaḥ jātakautūhalāḥ itiwhen the king judged that curiosity had arisen [in them],

उवाच एनान् अथ तदा पाण्डवान् अम्बिकासुतःuvāca enān atha tadā pāṇḍavān ambikāsutaḥthe son of Ambika (Dhritarashtra) then said to the Pandavas:

मम इमे पुरुषाः नित्यं कथयन्ति पुनः पुनःmama ime puruṣāḥ nityaṃ kathayanti punaḥ punaḥ'these men of mine constantly repeat, again and again,

रमणीयतरं लोके नगरं वारणावतम्ramaṇīyataraṃ loke nagaraṃ vāraṇāvatam[that] the most delightful city in the world is Varanavata;

ते तात यदि मन्यध्वम् उत्सवं वारणावतेte tāta yadi manyadhvam utsavaṃ vāraṇāvatetherefore, O sons, if you wish, to the festival at Varanavata

सगणाः सानुयात्राः च विहरध्वं यथामराःsagaṇāḥ sānuyātrāḥ ca viharadhvaṃ yathāmarāḥgo with your retinue and companions to make merry, like the immortals;

ब्राह्मणेभ्यः च रत्नानि गायनेभ्यः च सर्वशःbrāhmaṇebhyaḥ ca ratnāni gāyanebhyaḥ ca sarvaśaḥand to the brahmanas treasures, and to the singers -- everywhere

प्रयच्छध्वं यथाकामं देवाः इव सुवर्चसःprayacchadhvaṃ yathākāmaṃ devāḥ iva suvarcasaḥgive as you please, like radiant gods;

कं चित् कालं विहृत्य एवम् अनुभूय परां मुदम्kaṃ cit kālaṃ vihṛtya evam anubhūya parāṃ mudamhaving spent some time thus, having tasted the highest joy,

इदं वै हास्तिनपुरं सुखिनः पुनः एष्यथidaṃ vai hāstinapuraṃ sukhinaḥ punaḥ eṣyathayou will return again, happy, to this Hastinapura'

त्व्tvoriginal form "tv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

नृपोnṛpooriginal form "nṛpo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

जातकौतूहलाjātakautūhalāoriginal form "jātakautūhalā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

उवाचैनान्uvācainānoriginal form "uvācainān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

ममेमेmamemeoriginal form "mameme", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

पुरुषाpuruṣāoriginal form "puruṣā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

सानुयात्राश्sānuyātrāśoriginal form "sānuyātrāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्brāhmaṇebhyaśoriginal form "brāhmaṇebhyaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

गायनेभ्यश्gāyanebhyaśoriginal form "gāyanebhyaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

देवाdevāoriginal form "devā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

विहृत्यैवम्vihṛtyaivamoriginal form "vihṛtyaivam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

पुनर्punaroriginal form "punar", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

Translation

Dhritarashtra said: 'When the king judged that curiosity had arisen in them, he then said to the Pandavas: "My men constantly repeat that the most delightful city in the world is Varanavata. Therefore, O sons, if you wish, go with your retinue and companions to the festival there to make merry, like the immortals; and give treasures everywhere to the brahmanas and the singers as you please, like radiant gods. Having spent some time thus and tasted the highest joy, you will return again to Hastinapura, happy."'

Commentary

Here Dhritarashtra clothes his deadly design in tender, fatherly words. The hypocritical warmth is telling: 'O sons,' 'make merry like gods,' 'you will return happy' -- behind every word of feigned care lies a calculation for their death. Here is the most terrible mask of evil, feigned love: open enmity is less dangerous than deceit dressed in fatherly tenderness. Also telling is the false promise of return: the king says 'you will return,' knowing that he is sending them to be burned. Thus the scripture reveals the full depth of Dhritarashtra's fall: lips that bless with joy send to death; and this very duplicity is bitterer than open hatred.

Version

c35b35a3b5d2 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:03:08 PM UTC

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