Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तथा ब्रूहि महाभाग कुरूणां वंशवर्धन । यदि शक्या कुरुश्रेष्ठ रक्षा तासां कदाचन ।। कर्तु वा कृतपूर्व वा तन्मे व्याख्यातुमहसि,महाभाग! कुरुकुलवर्धन! कुरुश्रेष्ठ] यदि किसी प्रकार कभी भी उनकी रक्षा की जा सके तो वह बताइये। यदि किसीने पहले कभी किसी स्त्रीकी रक्षा की हो तो वह कथा भी मुझे विस्तारके साथ बताइये

Transliteration

tathā brūhi mahābhāga kurūṇāṁ vaṁśavardhana | yadi śakyā kuruśreṣṭha rakṣā tāsāṁ kadācana || kartuṁ vā kṛtapūrvā vā tan me vyākhyātum arhasi ||

Translation

Darum, o Erhabener—Mehrer des Kuru-Geschlechts—sage mir: Wenn es zu irgendeiner Zeit möglich ist, jene Frauen zu schützen, o Bester der Kurus, erkläre mir das Mittel. Und wenn ein solcher Schutz schon früher einmal vollbracht wurde, dann berichte mir auch dieses Vorbild ausführlich.

Word by Word

• {'tathā': 'therefore

• in that manner', 'brūhi': 'tell

• speak (imperative, 2nd sg.)', 'mahābhāga': 'highly fortunate

• illustrious (voc.)', 'kurūṇām': 'of the Kurus (gen. pl.)', 'vaṁśa-vardhana': 'increaser of the lineage

• one who strengthens the dynasty (voc.)', 'yadi': 'if', 'śakyā': 'possible

• feasible (fem. nom. sg.)', 'kuru-śreṣṭha': 'best among the Kurus (voc.)', 'rakṣā': 'protection

• safeguarding (fem. nom. sg.)', 'tāsām': 'of those (women) (gen. pl.)', 'kadācana': 'ever

• at any time', 'kartuṁ': 'to do

• to accomplish (infinitive)', 'kṛta-pūrvā': 'done before

• previously accomplished (fem. nom. sg., implying ‘such a protection’)', 'tan': 'that (matter)', 'me': 'to me

• my', 'vyākhyātum': 'to explain

• to expound (infinitive)', 'arhasi': 'you ought

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kuru dynasty (Kurūḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames protection—especially of vulnerable women—as a central obligation of righteous kingship and dharma, and it emphasizes learning ethical action through both practical means and authoritative precedents.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully questions an esteemed Kuru elder/authority, asking for concrete guidance on how women may be protected and requesting an earlier example (a prior case) where such protection was successfully carried out.