Shloka 9

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 27 — Saṃjaya’s Counsel on Dharma, Desire, and the Non-Perishing of Karma

Devanagari script

धर्मेश्चरः कुशलो नीतिमां श्चा- प्युपासिता ब्राह्मणानां मनीषी | नानाविधांश्रैव महाबलांश्र राजन्यभोजाननुशास्ति कृष्ण:

Transliteration

dharmeśvaraḥ kuśalo nītimāṁś cāpy upāsitā brāhmaṇānāṁ manīṣī | nānāvīdhāṁś caiva mahābalāṁś ca rājanyabhojān anuśāsti kṛṣṇaḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Kṛṣṇa ist ein Herr der Dharma, kundig in kluger Politik und Staatskunst; zudem ist er ein tiefsinniger Mann, der die Brāhmaṇas ehrt und ihnen dient. Er unterweist und lenkt Könige und Bhoja-Herrscher vieler Art, auch solche von großer Stärke, und führt sie zu rechtem Wandel und disziplinierter Herrschaft.“

Word by Word

धर्मेin dharma / in righteousness

चरःmoving/acting (one who conducts himself)

कुशलःskilled, competent

नीतिमान्possessed of policy/prudence

चand

अपिalso, even

उपासिताone who has served/attended

ब्राह्मणानाम्of the Brahmins

मनीषीa wise man, sage

नाना-विधान्various kinds of

चand

एवindeed, just

महाबलान्very strong, mighty

राजन्य-भोजान्Kshatriyas and Bhojas (warrior clans)

अनुशास्तिinstructs, governs, disciplines

कृष्णःKrishna

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kṛṣṇa

Brāhmaṇas

Rājanyas (royal/warrior class)

Bhojas

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 leadership unites dharma with practical wisdom: a righteous guide is skilled in policy, honors learned and ethical authorities (Brāhmaṇas), and uses counsel to discipline and direct powerful rulers toward proper conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira praises Kṛṣṇa’s qualifications as a moral and political guide—describing him as a dharma-centered, wise counselor who reveres Brāhmaṇas and is capable of instructing even diverse and mighty kings and chieftains.