Shloka 9

धृतराष्ट्रस्य संजयप्रश्नः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry to Saṃjaya on Strategic Comparisons

Devanagari script

यथान्यायं कौशलं वन्दनं च समागता मद्वचनेन वाच्या: । इदं ब्रूया: संजय राजमध्ये सुयोधनं पापकृतां प्रधानम्‌

Transliteration

yathānyāyaṁ kauśalaṁ vandanaṁ ca samāgatā madvacanena vācyāḥ | idaṁ brūyāḥ sañjaya rājamadhye suyodhanaṁ pāpakṛtāṁ pradhānam ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Wie es sich gehört, überbringe allen Versammelten nach meinem Auftrag Grüße, ehrerbietige Verneigungen und Erkundigungen nach ihrem Wohlergehen. Dann sprich inmitten der Könige dies zu Suyodhana — dem Vordersten unter den Übeltätern.“

Word by Word

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अन्यायम्: injustice
• अन्यायम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्याय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कौशलम्: welfare, well-being
• कौशलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वन्दनम्: salutation
• वन्दनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्दन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• समागताः: assembled, gathered
• समागताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past active (kta/ktavatu sense)

• मत्-वचनेन: by my words/command
• मत्-वचनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्-वचन
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वाच्याः: are to be addressed/spoken to
• वाच्याः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Gerundive (tavya/ya)

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

• ब्रूयाः: you should say
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संजय: O Sanjaya
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राज-मध्ये: in the midst of kings / in the royal assembly
• राज-मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज-मध्य
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सुयोधनम्: Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• सुयोधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुयोधन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पाप-कृताम्: of evil-doers
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-कृत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रधानम्: chief, foremost
• प्रधानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• kings/royal assembly (rāja-sabhā implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid impending conflict, one should follow yathānyāya—proper, dharmic protocol—offering respectful greetings and welfare-inquiries; yet moral judgment is not suspended, as Duryodhana is explicitly characterized as foremost among wrongdoers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports instructions to deliver a formal message: first convey courteous salutations and inquiries to the assembled kings, then publicly address Duryodhana in the royal gathering with the intended statement, marking him out as the chief of evildoers.