Shloka 9

स्त्रीपर्व — अध्याय १५: गान्धारी-युधिष्ठिर-संवादः

Gandhārī’s Confrontation and Consolation of Yudhiṣṭhira

Devanagari script

तदैव वध्य: सोअस्माकं दुराचारश्न ते सुतः । धर्मराजाज्ञया चैव स्थिता: सम समये तदा,“आपके उस दुराचारी पुत्रको तो हमें उसी समय मार डालना चाहिये था; परंतु धर्मराजकी आज्ञासे हमलोग समयके बन्धनमें बँधकर चुप रह गये

Transliteration

tadaiva vadhyaḥ so ’smākaṃ durācāraś ca te sutaḥ | dharmarājājñayā caiva sthitāḥ sma samaye tadā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Schon in jenem Augenblick hätte dein Sohn, verderbt im Wandel, von uns erschlagen werden sollen. Doch durch den Befehl Dharmarājas gebunden, zügelten wir uns damals und blieben innerhalb der gesetzten Frist.“

Word by Word

तदाthen, at that time

एवindeed, just

वध्यःto be slain, deserving death

सःhe

अस्माकम्of us, our

दुराचारःevil conduct, wickedness

नःof us (enclitic: our)

तेyour, of you

सुतःson

धर्मराजाज्ञयाby the command of Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)

चand

एवindeed, just

स्थिताःhaving remained, having stood

समसमयेat the proper time / at that very time

तदाthen

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

your son (unnamed in this verse)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when punishment seems justified, dharma in practice may require restraint and obedience to legitimate authority; ethical action is framed not only by anger or retribution but by adherence to a righteous ruler’s command and agreed limits.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker recalls that the opposing party’s son, described as wicked, could have been killed earlier; however, they did not act then because Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) had ordered them to hold back, and they remained bound by that directive and the constraints of the proper time.