Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

एतत्‌ सर्व यथान्यायं कुर्वीथा भूरिदक्षिण । प्रियस्तथा प्रजानां त्वं स्वर्गे सुखमवाप्स्यसि

Transliteration

etad sarvaṃ yathānyāyaṃ kurvīthā bhūridakṣiṇa | priyastathā prajānāṃ tvaṃ svarge sukham avāpsyasi ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „O König, reich an Opfergaben, vollziehe all dies in rechter und gesetzmäßiger Weise. So wirst du dem Volk lieb werden und auch im Himmel Glück erlangen.“

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (all this)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• न्यायम्: rule, propriety, justice
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुर्वीथाः: you should do/perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भूरि-दक्षिण: O one of abundant gifts (liberal donor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरि + दक्षिण
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रियः: dear, beloved
• प्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: thus, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• प्रजानाम्: of the subjects/people
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सुखम्: happiness, comfort
• सुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप्
• Form: Future (Lṛṭ), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• prajā (the subjects/people)
• svarga (heaven)
• dakṣiṇā (sacrificial gifts/fees)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Right conduct (yathā-nyāya) and generous, properly ordered giving—especially in ritual and public duty—wins the goodwill of one’s subjects and yields spiritual merit leading to heavenly happiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a king praised for abundant dakṣiṇā, urging him to follow the prescribed course of action correctly; he links ethical propriety and generosity with both social approval and posthumous reward.