Shloka 27

धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement

Devanagari script

व्यवहारश्न ते राजन्‌ नित्यमाप्तैरधिषछित:

Transliteration

vyavahāraś ca te rājan nityam āptair adhiṣṭhitaḥ

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O König, dein Verhalten in den weltlichen Angelegenheiten ist stets von vertrauenswürdigen und wohlwollenden Ältesten geleitet und gestützt worden.“

Word by Word

• व्यवहारज्ञः: knower of conduct/affairs
• व्यवहारज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यवहारज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य
• Form: true

• आप्तैः: by trusted (persons)
• आप्तैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आप्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अधिष्ठितः: is attended/served; is presided over
• अधिष्ठितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-स्था
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājan (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s ethical stability in governance comes from being guided by āptas—trustworthy, experienced well-wishers. Right conduct (vyavahāra) is strengthened when it is regulated by reliable counsel rather than personal impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses the king and characterizes his public conduct as consistently directed by dependable advisers/elders, framing the king’s actions within a dharmic model of rule supported by wise counsel.