Shloka 12

Devanagari script

स मन्त्रकाले सम्मन्त्रय सर्वा नैःश्रेयसीं क्रियाम्‌ | सुयोधनमिदं वाक्यमब्रवीद्‌ राजसंसदि,“उसने मन्त्रणाके समय अपने लिये श्रेयस्कर सिद्ध होनेवाले समस्त कार्योके सम्बन्धमें मन्त्रियोंसे परामर्श करके राजसभामें आकर दुर्योधनसे इस प्रकार कहा--

Transliteration

sa mantrakāle sammantrya sarvā naiḥśreyasīṃ kriyām | suyodhanam idaṃ vākyam abravīd rājasansadi ||

Translation

قال سنجيا: في الوقت المعيَّن للمشورة، وبعد أن تشاور مع الوزراء في كل ما يمكن أن يفضي إلى الخير الأسمى، دخل مجلس الملك وخاطب دريودhana بهذه الكلمات.

Word by Word

सःhe

मन्त्रकालेat the time of counsel

सम्मन्त्र्यhaving consulted

सर्वाम्all (entire)

नैःश्रेयसीम्leading to the highest good; beneficial

क्रियाम्action; course of action

सुयोधनम्Suyodhana (Duryodhana)

इदम्this

वाक्यम्speech; words

अब्रवीत्said; spoke

राजसंसदिin the royal assembly

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Suyodhana (Duryodhana)

ministers (mantrins)

royal assembly (rājasansad)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ideal of acting after thoughtful consultation aimed at naiḥśreyasa—true and lasting welfare—implying that political decisions, especially in wartime, should be guided by what is genuinely beneficial rather than by impulse, pride, or vengeance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that a figure (contextually, a court leader/elder) has consulted ministers at the proper time and then, in the royal court, begins to address Duryodhana—introducing a consequential speech shaped by prior deliberation.