Shloka 10

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Reception Plan for Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa): Gifts, Procession, and Protocol

Devanagari script

यथा प्रीतिर्महाबाहो त्वयि जायेत तस्य वै । तथा कुरुष्व गान्धारे कथं वा भीष्म मन्यसे

Transliteration

yathā prītir mahābāho tvayi jāyeta tasya vai | tathā kuruṣva gāndhāre kathaṃ vā bhīṣma manyase |

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „O Starkarmiger, o Sohn der Gāndhārī, bemühe dich so, dass in Śrī Kṛṣṇas Herzen Zuneigung zu dir erwache. Oder aber, Bhīṣma—wie lautet in dieser Sache dein wohlbedachtes Urteil?“

Word by Word

• यथा: as, in such a way that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• प्रीतिः: affection, love
• प्रीतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• त्वयि: in/for you, towards you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Masculine/Feminine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• जायेत: may arise, may be born
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• कुरुष्व: do (it), undertake
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperative (Lot), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गान्धारे: O son of Gandhāra (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धार
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• भीष्म: O Bhīṣma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मन्यसे: you think, you consider
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: Present (Lat), 2nd, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Gāndhārī
• Gāndhārī-nandana (Duryodhana)
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Before conflict hardens into war, one should seek goodwill and reconciliation through right effort and wise counsel; winning the favor of the righteous (here, Kṛṣṇa) is portrayed as ethically and strategically crucial.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the lead-up to war, the speaker urges the Gāndhārī’s son (Duryodhana) to act in a way that earns Kṛṣṇa’s goodwill, and then turns to Bhīṣma for his judgment on the best course of action.