Shloka 8

Koṭikāśya’s Inquiry to the Radiant Woman near the Kadamba (कोटिकाश्यप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

एवमुक्ते तु धर्मात्मा ज्येष्ठ: पाण्डुसुतस्तदा

Transliteration

evam ukte tu dharmātmā jyeṣṭhaḥ pāṇḍusutas tadā

Translation

এই কথা কোৱা হ’লে ধৰ্মাত্মা পাণ্ডুপুত্ৰসকলৰ জ্যেষ্ঠ (যুধিষ্ঠিৰ) তেতিয়া (উত্তৰ দিবলৈ) উদ্যত হ’ল।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• उक्ते: when (it was) said
• उक्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), neuter, locative, singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled (one)
• धर्मात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• ज्येष्ठः: eldest
• ज्येष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• पाण्डु-सुतः: son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डु-सुतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुसुत
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तदा: then/at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Pāṇḍu
• the eldest Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma as an inner disposition: the eldest Pāṇḍava is identified first by moral character (dharmātmā) rather than power, suggesting that rightful response in conflict should be guided by ethical steadiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Duryodhana has spoken, the narration turns to the eldest son of Pāṇḍu—implicitly Yudhiṣṭhira—marking the transition to his reaction or reply and framing it through his reputation for righteousness.