Mahabharata · 1.167.15–16
॥
Devanāgarī
गन्धर्व उवाच
एवम् उक्तस् ततो हृष्टो वसिष्ठः श्रेष्ठभाग् ऋषिः ॥
अस्ति संतानम् इत्य् उक्त्वा मृत्योः पार्थ न्यवर्तत ॥
ततः प्रतिनिवृत्तः स तया वध्वा सहानघ ॥
कल्माषपादम् आसीनं ददर्श विजने वने ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
gandharva uvāca
evam uktas tato hṛṣṭo vasiṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhabhāg ṛṣiḥ ||
asti saṃtānam ity uktvā mṛtyoḥ pārtha nyavartata ||
tataḥ pratinivṛttaḥ sa tayā vadhvā sahānagha ||
kalmāṣapādam āsīnaṃ dadarśa vijane vane ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम् उक्तः ततः हृष्टः वसिष्ठः श्रेष्ठभाक् ऋषिःevam uktaḥ tataḥ hṛṣṭaḥ vasiṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhabhāk ṛṣiḥso informed, rejoicing, Vasishtha, the rishi of highest portion,
अस्ति संतानम् इति उक्त्वा मृत्योः पार्थ न्यवर्ततasti saṃtānam iti uktvā mṛtyoḥ pārtha nyavartatasaying, "there is a continuation of the line," turned away from death, O Partha;
ततः प्रतिनिवृत्तः सः तया वध्वा सह अनघtataḥ pratinivṛttaḥ saḥ tayā vadhvā saha anaghathen, turning back together with that daughter-in-law, O sinless one,
कल्माषपादम् आसीनं ददर्श विजने वनेkalmāṣapādam āsīnaṃ dadarśa vijane vanehe saw Kalmashapada sitting in a lonely forest;
गन्धर्वgandharvaoriginal form "gandharva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उक्तस्uktasoriginal form "uktas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हृष्टोhṛṣṭooriginal form "hṛṣṭo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रेष्ठभाग्śreṣṭhabhāgoriginal form "śreṣṭhabhāg", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इत्य्ityoriginal form "ity", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सहानघsahānaghaoriginal form "sahānagha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"So informed, Vasishtha, rejoicing -- the rishi of highest portion -- said, 'there is a continuation of the line,' and turned away from death, O Partha. Then, turning back together with that daughter-in-law, O sinless one, he saw Kalmashapada sitting in a lonely forest."
Version
2633a1e6f7f5 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:43 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the hope of a continuing line restores to the saint the will to live. Telling is Vasishtha's word: "there is a continuation" -- learning that the line has not been cut off, he turns away from death; the surviving shoot of the family heals despair. In this is a lesson that the expectation of a future keeps even the shattered man in life: where there is one to carry on what was begun, grief too can be overcome. Thus the scripture shows the strength of a hope born of an unborn grandson; and Vasishtha, restored to life, at once encounters his former destroyer -- the trial is not yet over.