Shloka 9

द्रुपदवाक्यं

Drupada’s Counsel on Conciliation and Alliance Mobilization

Devanagari script

स च दुर्योधनो नून॑ प्रेषयिष्यति सर्वश: । पूर्वाभिपन्ना: सन्तश्न भजन्ते पूर्वचोदनम्‌,निश्चय ही दुर्योधन भी सबके यहाँ संदेश भेजेगा। श्रेष्ठ राजा जब किसीके द्वारा पहले सहायताके लिये निमन्त्रित हो जाते हैं, तब प्रथम निमन्त्रण देनेवालेकी ही सहायता करते हैं

Transliteration

sa ca duryodhano nūnaṁ preṣayiṣyati sarvaśaḥ | pūrvābhipannāḥ santaś ca bhajante pūrvacodanam ||

Translation

ولا ريب أن دوريوذانا سيرسل الرسائل في كل ناحية. فإن الملوك ذوي الشرف، إذا سُئلوا العون أولاً، مالوا إلى نصرة من سبق بالطلب، متمسّكين بالنداء السابق على أنه عزمٌ قد استقرّ.

Word by Word

सःhe

चand

दुर्योधनःDuryodhana

नूनम्surely, indeed

प्रेषयिष्यतिwill send

सर्वशःeverywhere / in every way / to all sides

पूर्व-अभिपन्नाःpreviously approached/engaged (first won over)

सन्तःgood/wise men; the noble

भजन्तेchoose/side with; support; resort to

पूर्व-चोदनम्the earlier urging/invitation (the first call)

Speaker

दुपद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Drupada (speaker, implied by context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a political-ethical norm: honorable rulers often feel bound to the first party that sought their aid, treating prior commitment and the first summons as decisive in choosing sides.

What is happening in the narrative?

Drupada anticipates Duryodhana’s diplomatic move—sending envoys widely to secure allies—and warns that many kings, having been approached first, may align with him out of a sense of prior obligation.