Shloka 39

धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts

Devanagari script

विपरीतकश्न मे शत्रुर्नियम्यश्न भवेन्नर: । राजा युधिष्ठिर बड़े दयालु थे। वे सदा प्रसन्न रहकर अपने भाइयों और मन्त्रियोंसे कहा करते थे कि “ये राजा धृतराष्ट्र मेरे और आपलोगोंके माननीय हैं। जो इनकी आज्ञाके अधीन रहता है, वही मेरा सुहृद्‌ है। विपरीत आचरण करनेवाला मेरा शत्रु है। वह मेरे दण्डका भागी होगा

Transliteration

vaiparītyakṛc ca me śatrur niyamyaś ca bhaven naraḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Wer meinem Befehl zuwiderhandelt, ist mein Feind; doch der Mann, der in Selbstzucht und Disziplin lebt—gehorsam den königlichen Weisungen—wird einer der Meinen.“ In diesem Zusammenhang sagte Yudhiṣṭhira, berühmt für Mitgefühl und heitere Beständigkeit, seinen Brüdern und Ministern immer wieder, König Dhṛtarāṣṭra sei der Verehrung würdig; Treue zu Dhṛtarāṣṭras Befehlen solle als Treue zu Yudhiṣṭhira selbst gelten, während Trotz Strafe nach sich ziehe.

Word by Word

• {'viparīta': 'contrary, opposite, acting against (proper conduct or command)', 'kṛt (kṛc)': 'doing, acting

• one who performs (an action)', 'me': 'my', 'śatruḥ': 'enemy', 'niyamya': 'restrained, self-controlled

• acting under rule/discipline', 'bhavet': 'would be, becomes', 'naraḥ': 'man, person', 'ājñā': 'command, order (implied by the narrative context)', 'daṇḍa': 'punishment, royal chastisement (implied by the narrative context)', 'suhṛd': 'well-wisher, friend (implied by the narrative context)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical governance in terms of disciplined obedience: one who follows rightful injunctions and maintains self-restraint is treated as a friend, while deliberate contrariness toward legitimate authority is treated as enmity and becomes liable to punishment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports Yudhiṣṭhira’s policy statement to his brothers and ministers: Dhṛtarāṣṭra is to be honored as a venerable king; those who remain under his orders are considered Yudhiṣṭhira’s allies, and those who act oppositely are regarded as enemies deserving chastisement.