Shloka 4

उद्योगपर्व अध्याय १३३ — संजये मातृउपदेशः

Udyoga Parva Adhyaya 133 — A Mother’s Counsel to Saṃjaya

Devanagari script

सन्ति वै सिन्धुराजस्य संतुष्टा न तथा जना: | दौर्बल्यादासते मूढा व्यसनौघप्रतीक्षिण:

Transliteration

santi vai sindhurājasya santuṣṭā na tathā janāḥ | daurbalyād āsate mūḍhā vyasanaugha-pratīkṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

Das Volk des Königs von Sindhu ist nicht wirklich mit ihm zufrieden. Doch wegen deiner Schwäche sitzen sie verwirrt und untätig da, warten nur darauf, dass eine Flut von Unheil über den Sindhu-König hereinbricht—sie spähen nach seinem Unglück, statt mit loyalem Entschluss zu ihm zu stehen.

Word by Word

• सन्ति: are/exist
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• सिन्धुराजस्य: of the king of Sindhu
• सिन्धुराजस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिन्धुराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• संतुष्टाः: satisfied/content
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संतुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम्+तुष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तथा: thus/so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दौर्बल्यात्: due to weakness
• दौर्बल्यात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौर्बल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• आसते: sit/remain
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• मूढाः: bewildered/deluded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण, मुह्/मोह्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• व्यसनौघप्रतीक्षिणः: awaiting a flood/stream of calamities
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यसनौघप्रतीक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

पुत्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sindhurāja (King of Sindhu)
• Sindhu (region/kingdom)
• janāḥ (the subjects/people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s weakness breeds public passivity and even silent hostility: when governance lacks strength and clarity, subjects may not support the king but instead wait for his downfall. The verse underscores the ethical demand of firm, competent leadership in rāja-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker (the son) comments on the state of the Sindhu-king’s realm: the people are not genuinely pleased with their king, and because of the addressee’s weakness they remain confused and inactive, watching and waiting for misfortunes to strike the Sindhu-king.