वैशंपायन उवाच
पाण्डवास् तु रथान् युक्त्वा सदश्वैर् अनिलोपमैः ॥
आरोहमाणा भीष्मस्य पादौ जगृहुर् आर्तवत् ॥
राज्ञश् च धृतराष्ट्रस्य द्रोणस्य च महात्मनः ॥
अन्येषां चैव वृद्धानां विदुरस्य कृपस्य च ॥
एवं सर्वान् कुरून् वृद्धान् अभिवाद्य यतव्रताः ॥
समालिङ्ग्य समानांश् च बालैश् चाप्य् अभिवादिताः ॥
सर्वा मातॄस् तथापृष्ट्वा कृत्वा चैव प्रदक्षिणम् ॥
सर्वाः प्रकृतयश् चैव प्रययुर् वारणावतम् ॥
विदुरश् च महाप्राज्ञस् तथान्ये कुरुपुंगवाः ॥
पौराश् च पुरुषव्याघ्रान् अन्वयुः शोककर्शिताः ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
pāṇḍavās tu rathān yuktvā sadaśvair anilopamaiḥ ||
ārohamāṇā bhīṣmasya pādau jagṛhur ārtavat ||
rājñaś ca dhṛtarāṣṭrasya droṇasya ca mahātmanaḥ ||
anyeṣāṃ caiva vṛddhānāṃ vidurasya kṛpasya ca ||
evaṃ sarvān kurūn vṛddhān abhivādya yatavratāḥ ||
samāliṅgya samānāṃś ca bālaiś cāpy abhivāditāḥ ||
sarvā mātṝs tathāpṛṣṭvā kṛtvā caiva pradakṣiṇam ||
sarvāḥ prakṛtayaś caiva prayayur vāraṇāvatam ||
viduraś ca mahāprājñas tathānye kurupuṃgavāḥ ||
paurāś ca puruṣavyāghrān anvayuḥ śokakarśitāḥ ||
Vaishampayana said: "The Pandavas, having yoked their chariots with fine horses swift as the wind, mounting them, clasped the feet of Bhishma as if in sorrow, and honored King Dhritarashtra, the great-souled Drona, the other elders, Vidura, and Kripa. Thus, having bowed to all the elders of the Kurus, embraced their equals, and received the bows of the younger ones, having taken leave of all the mothers and performed the circumambulation, they set out for Varanavata with all the subjects; and the wise Vidura, and the other bulls of the Kuru race, and the townsfolk, worn with grief, followed those tigers among men."
56a64f2b8ec3 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:03:09 PM UTC
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Here the Pandavas, setting out on their journey, honor all the elders according to dharma. It is telling that even while going, in effect, into an exile contrived against them, they show neither resentment nor pride, but humbly bow at the feet of both Bhishma and Dhritarashtra himself, the very one who has plotted their ruin. In this is the perfection of reverence (vinaya): the righteous honor their elders by their station, not by their merit toward oneself. Telling too is the grief of the people who see them off: the love of the subjects is a silent verdict on injustice. Thus the scripture reveals the nobility of the Pandavas and the people's sympathy, throwing into relief the dark design of those who send them away.