Shloka 15

Arjuna Restores a Brāhmaṇa’s Cattle and Accepts Forest Exile

Satya-vrata at Khaṇḍavaprastha

Devanagari script

प्रोवाच चामितमतिः: प्रश्नितं विनयान्वितः । द्रुपदं पाण्डुपुत्राणां संनिधी केशवस्य च,अगाध बुद्धिवाले विदुरजी पाण्डवों तथा भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णके समीप विनीतभावसे नम्रतापूर्वक बोले--

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | provāca cāmitamatiḥ praśnitaṃ vinayānvitaḥ | drupadaṃ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ sannidhau keśavasya ca |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Da wandte sich Vidura, dessen Verstand unermeßlich war, in Demut und Höflichkeit an Drupada und redete in Gegenwart der Söhne Pāṇḍus und Keśavas (Śrī Kṛṣṇas).

Word by Word

प्रोवाचsaid, spoke

चand

अमितमतिःone of immeasurable intellect (Vidura)

प्रश्नितम्asked, questioned (that which was asked)

विनयान्वितःendowed with humility

द्रुपदम्Drupada

पाण्डुपुत्राणाम्of the sons of Pandu (the Pandavas)

सन्निधौin the presence

केशवस्यof Keshava (Krishna)

चand

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vidura

Drupada

Pāṇḍuputrāḥ (Pāṇḍavas)

Keśava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wise counsel should be delivered with vinaya (humility and propriety), especially in public or politically sensitive settings; ethical speech is marked not only by truth but also by respectful manner and awareness of context.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Vidura, renowned for deep wisdom, speaks to King Drupada. He does so respectfully, in the presence of the Pāṇḍavas and Kṛṣṇa, indicating a formal assembly where guidance or deliberation is being offered.