Shloka 15

Devanagari script

हुपद उवाच नाश्रोत्रिय: श्रोत्रियस्थ नारथी रथिन: सखा । नाराजा पार्थिवस्यापि सखिपूर्व किमिष्यते,द्रपदने कहा--जो श्रोत्रिय नहीं है, वह श्रोत्रियका; जो रथी नहीं है, वह रथी वीरका और इसी प्रकार जो राजा नहीं है, वह किसी राजाका मित्र होनेयोग्य नहीं है; फिर तुम पहलेकी मित्रताकी अभिलाषा क्यों करते हो?

Transliteration

hupada uvāca | nāśrotriyaḥ śrotriyastha nārathī rathinaḥ sakhā | nārājā pārthivasyāpi sakhipūrva kim iṣyate ||

Translation

Hupada sagte: „Wer kein śrotriya ist, taugt nicht zum Gefährten eines śrotriya; wer kein Wagenkrieger (rathin) ist, ist nicht der Freund eines wahren rathin. Ebenso ist, wer kein König ist, der Freundschaft eines Königs nicht würdig. Warum begehrst du dann noch die frühere Freundschaft?“

Word by Word

द्रुपदःDrupada

उवाचsaid

नnot

अश्रोत्रियःa non-śrotriya (one not learned in Veda)

श्रोत्रियस्यof a śrotriya

नnot

अरथीone who is not a chariot-warrior

रथिनःof a chariot-warrior

सखाfriend

नnot

राजाa king

पार्थिवस्यof a ruler/king

अपिeven/also

सखि-पूर्वम्former friendship (friendship of earlier times)

किम्what/why

इष्यतेis desired / is sought

Speaker

हुपद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Hupada (Drupada)

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 asserts a norm of ‘fitness’ or parity in relationships: friendship is portrayed as properly existing between equals in status and qualification (learned with learned, warrior with warrior, king with king). It highlights how social rank and role-based dharma can override personal sentiment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Hupada (Drupada) speaks dismissively about an earlier friendship, arguing that since the other party lacks the requisite standing (as he frames it), the old bond is no longer appropriate. This sets a moral and emotional conflict that later fuels enmity.