Shloka 36

धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts

Devanagari script

विपरीतकश्न मे शत्रुर्नियम्यश्न भवेन्नर: । राजा युधिष्ठिर बड़े दयालु थे। वे सदा प्रसन्न रहकर अपने भाइयों और मन्त्रियोंसे कहा करते थे कि “ये राजा धृतराष्ट्र मेरे और आपलोगोंके माननीय हैं। जो इनकी आज्ञाके अधीन रहता है, वही मेरा सुहृद्‌ है। विपरीत आचरण करनेवाला मेरा शत्रु है। वह मेरे दण्डका भागी होगा

Transliteration

viparītakaś ca me śatrur niyamyaś ca bhaven naraḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Whoever acts contrary to my directive is my enemy; but the man who lives in restraint and under discipline is to be regarded as one of my own.” In this context, King Yudhiṣṭhira—ever compassionate and steady in cheer—repeatedly told his brothers and ministers that King Dhṛtarāṣṭra was worthy of reverence for them all; therefore, one who remained obedient to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s command was truly Yudhiṣṭhira’s well-wisher, while one who behaved oppositely would be treated as an enemy and liable to punishment.

Word by Word

• {'viparīta': 'contrary, opposite (to what is proper or commanded)', 'viparītakaḥ': 'one who acts contrary

• a contrarian (masculine nominative singular)', 'ca': 'and', 'me': 'my', 'śatruḥ': 'enemy', 'niyamyaḥ': 'to be restrained/regulated

• one who should be kept under control (or one who is self-controlled, depending on reading)', 'bhavet': 'may be / becomes', 'naraḥ': 'man, person', 'ājñā': 'command, order', 'daṇḍa': 'punishment, royal chastisement', 'suhṛd': 'well-wisher, friend'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical governance in terms of discipline and obedience to rightful authority: those who act contrary to the established command and order become adversaries of dharma and are liable to punishment, while those who remain regulated and compliant are treated as allies and well-wishers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports Yudhiṣṭhira’s stance toward Dhṛtarāṣṭra after the war: Yudhiṣṭhira instructs his brothers and ministers to honor Dhṛtarāṣṭra as venerable and to follow his directives; anyone opposing that policy is declared an enemy and subject to royal chastisement.