Shloka 20

Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 92: Kṛṣṇasya sabhāpraveśaḥ

Krishna’s Entry into the Royal Assembly

Devanagari script

अपि वाचं भाषमाणस्य काव्यां धर्मासमामर्थवतीमहिंस्राम्‌ । अवेक्षेरन्‌ धार्तराष्ट्रा: शमार्थ मां च प्राप्त कुरव: पूजयेयु:

Transliteration

api vācaṃ bhāṣamāṇasya kāvyāṃ dharmasamām arthavatīm ahiṃsrām | avekṣeran dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ śamārthaṃ māṃ ca prāptaṃ kuravaḥ pūjayeyuḥ ||

Translation

Ich werde um des Friedens willen eine wohlgeformte Rede sprechen, von den Weisen gebilligt: im Einklang mit Dharma, zweckvoll und frei von Gewalt. Wenn die Söhne Dhṛtarāṣṭras darauf achten, werden sie sie gewiss annehmen; und auch die Kurus werden mich ehren, da sie erkennen, dass ich wahrhaftig um des Friedens willen gekommen bin.

Word by Word

• अपि: even; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• वाचम्: speech; words
• वाचम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भाषमाणस्य: of (one) speaking
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष्
• Form: Shatr (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• काव्याम्: poetic; well-composed
• काव्याम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काव्य
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्म: with dharma; by righteousness
• धर्म: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• असम: not equal; not contrary (as used in compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अर्थवतीम्: meaningful; beneficial; in accord with artha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्थवत्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अहिंस्राम्: non-violent; harmless
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहिंस्र
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अवेक्षेरन्: they should look at; heed; consider
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-ईक्ष्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• धार्तराष्ट्राः: the sons of Dhritarashtra
• धार्तराष्ट्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शम: for peace; for pacification
• शम: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• अर्थम्: purpose; aim
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

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

• प्राप्तम्: arrived; come
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Kta (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुरवः: the Kurus
• कुरवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पूजयेयुः: they should honor; would worship
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

(वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)
• Kuravas (Kurus)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Speech should be ethically grounded: aligned with dharma, purposeful (artha-vat), and non-violent (ahiṃsā). Such speech is presented as the proper instrument for restoring peace and winning legitimate respect.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker frames a peace-oriented intervention: he intends to deliver a carefully composed, dharma-consistent, non-harmful message and hopes the Dhṛtarāṣṭras will heed it, while the Kurus recognize his arrival as a genuine mission of reconciliation and honor him accordingly.