Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

तथा चारबलं चैव परस्परसमं नृप । विज्ञेयं बहुकालेषु राज्ञा काल उपस्थिते,नरेश्वरर चारबल (दूतोंका बल) भी परस्पर समान ही है। राजाको समय आनेपर अधिक अवसरोंपर इस तत्त्वको समझे रहना चाहिये

Transliteration

tathā cārabalaṃ caiva parasparasamaṃ nṛpa | vijñeyaṃ bahukāleṣu rājñā kāla upasthite ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „So auch, o König, ist die Macht der Gesandten auf beiden Seiten gegenseitig ausgeglichen. Darum soll ein Herrscher, wenn die entscheidende Stunde gekommen ist, dieses Prinzip bei vielen Gelegenheiten im Sinn behalten—und erkennen, dass diplomatische Stärke auf Gleichgewicht, Umsicht und rechtzeitigem Urteil beruht, nicht auf bloßer Gewalt.“

Word by Word

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

• चारबलम्: the force/strength of spies (intelligence agents)
• चारबलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चारबल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• परस्परसमम्: mutually equal
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परस्परसम
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• विज्ञेयम्: is to be known/understood
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा
• Form: तव्यत् (gerundive), Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Passive (obligative sense)

• बहुकालेषु: on many occasions / at many times
• बहुकालेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुकाल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• काले: when the time (moment) comes
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• उपस्थिते: having arrived / being present
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should understand that diplomatic and intelligence strength (cārabala) tends to be balanced between rivals; therefore success depends on timely judgment, restraint, and wise use of counsel rather than assuming unilateral advantage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra is offering a reflective counsel on governance: he emphasizes the practical reality of parity in diplomatic resources and urges the king to remember this when critical decisions and turning points arise.