Shloka 12

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १२५: दुर्योधनस्य प्रत्युत्तरम्

Duryodhana’s Reply in the Kuru Assembly

Devanagari script

अभिवादयमानं त्वां शिरसा राजकुञ्जर: । पाणिश्यां प्रतिगृह्नातु धर्मराजो युधिछिर:,“हम चाहते हैं कि नृपश्रेष्ठ धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर तुम्हें मस्तक झुकाकर प्रणाम करते देख दोनों हाथोंसे पकड़ (कर हृदयसे लगा) लें

Transliteration

abhivādayamānaṁ tvāṁ śirasā rāja-kuñjaraḥ | pāṇibhyāṁ pratigṛhṇātu dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Möge Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, der königliche Elefant unter den Königen, dich mit beiden Händen empfangen und an sein Herz ziehen, während er sein Haupt in ehrerbietigem Gruß vor dir neigt.“

Word by Word

अभिवादयमानम्saluting

त्वाम्you

शिरसाwith (his) head; by bowing the head

राजकुञ्जरःthe royal elephant (a great king)

पाणिश्याम्in/into the hand(s) (hand-clasp)

प्रतिगृह्णातुmay (he) accept/receive

धर्मराजःKing of Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira)

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharma-rāja Yudhiṣṭhira

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?

True royal strength is shown through dharmic humility—honouring worthy persons with reverence and wholehearted acceptance rather than pride or hostility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Yudhiṣṭhira’s intended reception of someone: he bows his head in greeting and, with both hands, welcomes the person warmly—an image of respectful, conciliatory conduct in the tense pre-war setting of the Udyoga Parva.