Shloka 109

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 47 — Arjuna’s Deterrent Declaration

Sañjaya’s Report

Devanagari script

वृद्धों भीष्म: शान्तनव: कृपश्च द्रोण: सपुत्रो विदुरश्ष धीमान्‌ एते सर्वे यद्‌ वदन्ते तदस्तु आयुष्मन्त: कुरव: सन्तु सर्वे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

vr̥ddho bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavaḥ kr̥paś ca droṇaḥ saputro viduraś ca dhīmān |

ete sarve yad vadanti tad astu |

āyuṣmantaḥ kuravaḥ santu sarve ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Es geschehe, wie es der betagte Bhīṣma, Sohn Śāntanus, und Kripa, und Droṇa mit seinem Sohn, und der weise Vidura—sie alle gemeinsam—verkünden. Mögen alle Kurus lange leben.“

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sanjaya said', 'vr̥ddhaḥ': 'aged, elder', 'bhīṣmaḥ': 'Bhishma (the grandsire of the Kurus)', 'śāntanavaḥ': 'son/descendant of Shantanu (epithet of Bhishma)', 'kr̥paḥ': 'Kripa (Kripacharya)', 'droṇaḥ': 'Drona (Dronacharya)', 'saputraḥ': 'together with his son (i.e., with Ashvatthama)', 'viduraḥ': 'Vidura', 'dhīmān': 'wise, discerning', 'ete sarve': 'all these (persons) together', 'yad vadanti': 'whatever they say/advise', 'tad astu': 'let that be so

• let it be done', 'āyuṣmantaḥ': 'long-lived

• endowed with life', 'kuravaḥ': 'the Kurus (members of the Kuru dynasty)', 'santu sarve': 'may all be (so)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Bhishma
• Shantanu
• Kripa
• Drona
• Ashvatthama
• Vidura
• Kurus

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes ethical deference to seasoned elders and wise counselors—Bhishma, Kripa, Drona (with Ashvatthama), and Vidura—and places the highest value on the continued well-being and longevity of the Kuru family rather than partisan triumph.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Sanjaya reports a sentiment that decisions should follow the collective counsel of the principal elders and that the desired outcome is the survival and prosperity of all Kurus, reflecting a wish to avert catastrophic conflict.