Shloka 30

Droṇa–Vidura–Gāndhārī Counsel in the Royal Assembly (धर्मार्थयुक्ता सभा-उपदेश-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

ततः: पौरा महाराज माता काली च मे शुभा | भृत्या: पुरोहिताचार्या ब्राह्मणाश्व बहुश्रुता: । मामूचुर्भशसंतप्ता भव राजेति संततम्‌

Transliteration

tataḥ paurā mahārāja mātā kālī ca me śubhā | bhṛtyāḥ purohitācāryā brāhmaṇāś ca bahuśrutāḥ || mām ūcur bhṛśa-santaptā bhava rājeti santatam ||

Translation

ভীষ্ম বললেন—মহারাজ! তখন নগরবাসী, আমার মঙ্গলময়ী মাতা কালী (সত্যবতী), ভৃত্যবর্গ, পুরোহিত, আচার্য এবং বহু-শ্রুত ব্রাহ্মণগণ গভীর দুঃখে বারবার আমাকে বললেন—“আপনি রাজা হন।”

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: indeclinable (ablatival adverb)

• पौराः: citizens/townsmen
• पौराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• काली: Kālī (name)
• काली: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काली
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: indeclinable

• मे: my/of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: genitive, singular

• शुभा: auspicious/beneficent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• भृत्याः: servants/retainers
• भृत्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• पुरोहिताः: family priests
• पुरोहिताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोहित
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• आचार्याः: teachers/preceptors
• आचार्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: indeclinable

• बहुश्रुताः: very learned (lit. much-heard)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुश्रुत
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: accusative, singular

• ऊचुः: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: perfect, 3rd person, plural (parasmaipada)

• भृशम्: exceedingly/greatly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम्
• Form: indeclinable (adverb)

• संतप्ताः: deeply distressed/afflicted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संतप्त
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural; past passive participle (from √तप् with सम्-)

• भव: become (you be)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: imperative, 2nd person, singular (parasmaipada)

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति
• Form: indeclinable (quotative)

• संततम्: continually/again and again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संततम्
• Form: indeclinable (adverb)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Satyavati (Kali)
• Citizens (paurāḥ)
• Servants/retainers (bhṛtyāḥ)
• Purohita (royal priest)
• Ācāryas (teachers)
• Brāhmaṇas (learned priests)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical pressure of rajadharma: when a kingdom’s stability is threatened, society—elders, clergy, teachers, and citizens—may urge a capable protector to accept rulership for the common good, even if he personally prefers restraint or renunciation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma recounts that after a critical turn in the Kuru succession, the citizens and leading authorities—along with his mother Satyavatī (called Kālī)—approached him in distress and repeatedly implored him to take the throne.