Shloka 18

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय २५: संजयदूतवाक्यम्

Sañjaya’s Envoy-Speech on Peace

Devanagari script

तदर्थलुब्धस्य निबोध मेडद्य ये मन्त्रिणो धार्तराष्ट्रस्य सूत । दुःशासन: शकुनि:ः सूतपुत्रो गावल्गणे पश्य सम्मोहमस्य

Transliteration

tadarthalubdhasya nibodha medad ye mantriṇo dhārtarāṣṭrasya sūta | duḥśāsanaḥ śakuniḥ sūtaputro gāvalgaṇe paśya sammohaṁ asya ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „O Sūta, begreife dies: Das sind die Ratgeber des Sohnes Dhritarashtras, der nach Gewinn giert. Duḥśāsana, Śakuni und Karṇa, der Sohn des Wagenlenkers—das sind seine Minister. O Gāvalgaṇa, sieh die Verblendung, die ihn ergriffen hat.“

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अर्थ: purpose/wealth (object)
• अर्थ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• लुब्धस्य: of the greedy one
• लुब्धस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• निबोध: know/understand (listen)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-बुध्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मन्त्रिणः: ministers/counsellors
• मन्त्रिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धार्तराष्ट्रस्य: of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (Duryodhana)
• धार्तराष्ट्रस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun (patronymic)
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सूत: O charioteer (Sañjaya)
• सूत: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun (vocative)
• Root: सूत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दुःशासनः: Duḥśāsana
• दुःशासनः: Karta
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: दुःशासन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शकुनिः: Śakuni
• शकुनिः: Karta
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: शकुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सूतपुत्रः: the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूतपुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun (epithet/proper noun)
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गावल्गणे: O Gāvalgaṇa (Sañjaya’s father-name)
• गावल्गणे: Sambodhana
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: गावल्गण
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पश्य: see
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सम्मोहम्: delusion/confusion
• सम्मोहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्मोह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Duryodhana
• Duḥśāsana
• Śakuni
• Karṇa
• Gāvalgaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how greed for gain (artha-lobha) and delusion (moha) distort judgment in leadership, especially when a ruler surrounds himself with counsellors who reinforce unethical aims rather than restrain them.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya identifies Duryodhana’s key advisers—Duḥśāsana, Śakuni, and Karṇa—and characterizes Duryodhana as driven by greed, urging the listener to recognize the deluded mindset shaping the Kaurava party’s decisions.