संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
आश्रम-वासाख्यं पर्व पञ्चदशम्āśrama-vāsākhyaṃ parva pañcadaśamthe Ashramavasa-parva, the fifteenth
राज्यं परित्यज्य गान्धारी-सहितः नृपःrājyaṃ parityajya gāndhārī-sahitaḥ nṛpaḥthe king (Dhritarashtra), having abandoned the kingdom, together with Gandhari
धृतराष्ट्र-आश्रम-पदं विदुरः च जगामdhṛtarāṣṭra-āśrama-padaṃ viduraḥ ca jagāmaDhritarashtra and Vidura withdrew to the forest hermitage
प्रस्थितं साध्वी पृथा अनुययौprasthitaṃ sādhvī pṛthā anuyayauthe virtuous Pritha (Kunti) too followed the departing king
पुत्र-राज्यं परित्यज्य गुरु-शुश्रूषणे रताputra-rājyaṃ parityajya guru-śuśrūṣaṇe ratāhaving abandoned her sons' kingdom, devoted to the service of her elders
राजा हतान् पुत्रान् पौत्रान् लोकान्तर-गतान् अपश्यत् पुनरागतान्rājā hatān putrān pautrān lokāntara-gatān apaśyat punarāgatānthe king saw his slain sons and grandsons, who had departed to another world, returned
ऋषेः प्रसादात् कृष्णस्य आश्चर्यम् अनुत्तमम्ṛṣeḥ prasādāt kṛṣṇasya āścaryam anuttamamby the grace of the sage (Vyasa), the most wondrous marvel was seen
त्यक्त्वा शोकं सिद्धिं परमिकां गतःtyaktvā śokaṃ siddhiṃ paramikāṃ gataḥhaving set aside grief, [the king] attained the highest perfection
विदुरः धर्मं समाश्रित्य सुगतिं गतःviduraḥ dharmaṃ samāśritya sugatiṃ gataḥVidura, established in dharma, departed by the auspicious path
संजयः च गावल्गणिः विद्वान् वशीsaṃjayaḥ ca gāvalgaṇiḥ vidvān vaśīas did Sanjaya, son of Gavalgana, learned and self-controlled
धर्मराजः नारदं ददर्श वृष्णीनां कदनं शुश्रावdharmarājaḥ nāradaṃ dadarśa vṛṣṇīnāṃ kadanaṃ śuśrāvathe King of Dharma met Narada and heard of the destruction of the Vrishnis
एतत् आश्रम-वासाख्यं सुमहाद्भुतम्etat āśrama-vāsākhyaṃ sumahādbhutamsuch is the Ashramavasa-parva, most wondrous
द्वि-चत्वारिंशत् अध्यायाःdvi-catvāriṃśat adhyāyāḥforty-two chapters
सहस्रम् एकं पञ्च शतानि षट् च श्लोकाःsahasram ekaṃ pañca śatāni ṣaṭ ca ślokāḥone thousand five hundred six verses
ततtataunderlying form «tata», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
आश्रमवासाक्यंāśramavāsākyaṃunderlying form «āśramavāsākyaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पञ्चदशंpañcadaśaṃunderlying form «pañcadaśaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
स्मृतम्smṛtamunderlying form «smṛtam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
यत्रyatraunderlying form «yatra», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
गान्धारीसहितोgāndhārīsahitounderlying form «gāndhārīsahito», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
धृतराष्ट्राश्रमपदंdhṛtarāṣṭrāśramapadaṃunderlying form «dhṛtarāṣṭrāśramapadaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
विदुरश्viduraśunderlying form «viduraś», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
हhaunderlying form «ha», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
यंyaṃunderlying form «yaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
दृष्ट्वाdṛṣṭvāunderlying form «dṛṣṭvā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पृथाप्य्pṛthāpyunderlying form «pṛthāpy», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तदाtadāunderlying form «tadā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पुत्रराज्यंputrarājyaṃunderlying form «putrarājyaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
गुरुशुश्रूषणेguruśuśrūṣaṇeunderlying form «guruśuśrūṣaṇe», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
यत्रyatraunderlying form «yatra», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
अन्यांश्anyāṃśunderlying form «anyāṃś», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पार्थिवान्pārthivānunderlying form «pārthivān», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
लोकान्तरगतान्lokāntaragatānunderlying form «lokāntaragatān», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
वीरान्vīrānunderlying form «vīrān», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
दृष्ट्वाश्चर्यम्dṛṣṭvāścaryamunderlying form «dṛṣṭvāścaryam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
सदारश्sadāraśunderlying form «sadāraś», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
यत्रyatraunderlying form «yatra», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
संजयश्saṃjayaśunderlying form «saṃjayaś», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चcaunderlying form «ca», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
महामात्रोmahāmātrounderlying form «mahāmātro», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
गावल्गणिर्gāvalgaṇirunderlying form «gāvalgaṇir», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
यत्रyatraunderlying form «yatra», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
धर्मराजोdharmarājounderlying form «dharmarājo», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
युधिष्ठिरःyudhiṣṭhiraḥunderlying form «yudhiṣṭhiraḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
नारदाच्nāradācunderlying form «nāradāc», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चैवcaivaunderlying form «caiva», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
महत्mahatunderlying form «mahat», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
एतद्etadunderlying form «etad», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
आश्रमवासाख्यंāśramavāsākhyaṃunderlying form «āśramavāsākhyaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पूर्वोक्तंpūrvoktaṃunderlying form «pūrvoktaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
द्विचत्वारिंशद्dvicatvāriṃśadunderlying form «dvicatvāriṃśad», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पर्वैतद्parvaitadunderlying form «parvaitad», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
अभिसंख्ययाabhisaṃkhyayāunderlying form «abhisaṃkhyayā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
श्लोकानांślokānāṃunderlying form «ślokānāṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
श्लोकशतानिślokaśatāniunderlying form «ślokaśatāni», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चcaunderlying form «ca», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
षड्ṣaḍunderlying form «ṣaḍ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
एवevaunderlying form «eva», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चcaunderlying form «ca», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तथाtathāunderlying form «tathā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
संख्यातास्saṃkhyātāsunderlying form «saṃkhyātās», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तत्त्वदर्शिनाtattvadarśināunderlying form «tattvadarśinā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
The Ashramavasa-parva teaches how life should be brought to its close: through renunciation (vanaprastha) and turning toward the spiritual. Blind Dhritarashtra, whose whole life was clouded by attachment to his sons, at last abandons the kingdom and withdraws to the forest, purifying himself through austerity, and attains perfection. The marvel wrought by Vyasa, when the fallen heroes rise for one night from the waters of the Ganga, grants the grieving comfort and faith in the soul's continuance beyond the threshold of death: there is no death, only a passing over. Vidura, the embodiment of Dharma and a great devotee, and faithful Kunti embody the ideal of departure in service and remembrance of the Lord. And Narada's tidings of the coming destruction of the Vrishnis remind us that even those close to the Lord depart in their own season by His will, for all things are transient save Krishna Himself and devotion to Him.