Shloka 15

धृतराष्ट्र-सेवा, राज्य-कार्य-विभागः

Service to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Allocation of State Duties

Devanagari script

सहदेवं समीपस्थं नित्यमेव समादिशत्‌ | तेन गोप्यो हि नृपति: सर्वावस्थो विशाम्पते

Transliteration

sahadevaṃ samīpasthaṃ nityam eva samādiśat | tena gopyo hi nṛpatiḥ sarvāvastho viśāmpate prajānātha ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: König Yudhiṣṭhira wies Sahadeva, der stets in seiner Nähe stand, unablässig an, immer an seiner Seite zu bleiben. Durch ihn wurde der König in jeder Lage und unter allen Umständen bewacht—o Herr des Volkes, o Lenker der Untertanen—damit die Sicherheit des Herrschers niemals vernachlässigt werde.

Word by Word

• सहदेवम्: Sahadeva (as object)
• सहदेवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहदेव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समीपस्थम्: standing nearby, close at hand
• समीपस्थम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीपस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

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

• समादिशत्: ordered, commanded
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√दिश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• गोप्यः: to be guarded / to be protected
• गोप्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोप्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• नृपतिः: the king
• नृपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वावस्थः: in all conditions / at all times
• सर्वावस्थः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वावस्था
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विशाम्: of the people/subjects
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• पते: O lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Sahadeva
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• nṛpati (the king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king’s dharma includes ensuring constant protection and orderly administration by assigning trusted, capable aides; loyal service (like Sahadeva’s) becomes an ethical instrument for safeguarding the realm through safeguarding the ruler.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira keeps Sahadeva close and repeatedly instructs him to remain nearby, entrusting him with the king’s protection in every circumstance.