Shloka 19

धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas

Devanagari script

एवमेतन्महाराज राजा सम्यक्‌ समाचरन्‌ | प्रेत्य स्वर्गमवाप्नोति प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन्‌

Transliteration

evam etan mahārāja rājā samyak samācaran | pretya svargam avāpnoti prajā dharmeṇa pālayan ||

Translation

„So ist es, o großer König. Ein Herrscher, der über diese Dinge nachgedacht hat, sich recht verhält und seine Untertanen gemäß dem Dharma schützt, erlangt nach dem Tod den Himmel.“

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• एतत्: this (matter)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• महा-राज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• सम्यक्: properly, rightly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• समाचरन्: acting/practising (properly)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर्
• Form: present active participle (parasmaipada), masculine, nominative, singular

• प्रेत्य: having departed (after death)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इ
• Form: absolutive (ktvā/lyap)

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• अवाप्नोति: attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप्
• Form: present indicative (lat), third, singular, parasmaipada

• प्रजाः: subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: feminine, accusative, plural

• धर्मेण: by/with righteousness, according to dharma
• धर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• पालयन्: protecting/ruling (the subjects)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल्
• Form: present active participle (parasmaipada), masculine, nominative, singular

• महा-राज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Mahārāja (addressed king)
• Svarga (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that a king’s spiritual outcome is tied to ethical governance: right personal conduct and the protection of subjects according to dharma lead to merit and heavenly attainment after death.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra affirms a principle of rājadharma being discussed: that a ruler who thoughtfully follows proper conduct and upholds dharma in caring for the people gains a favorable posthumous destiny (Svarga).