Shloka 18

Devanagari script

मन्त्रयित्वा तु कौन्तेय उत्तरेण महात्मना । इतिकर्तव्यतां सर्वा राजन्‌ पार्थे युधिष्ठिरे

Transliteration

mantrayitvā tu kaunteya uttareṇa mahātmanā | itikartavyatāṃ sarvā rājan pārthe yudhiṣṭhire ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Nachdem er sich mit dem edlen Uttara beraten hatte, o Sohn der Kuntī, ordnete König Yudhiṣṭhira (Pārtha) alles, was zu tun war, bis ins Einzelne.

Word by Word

मन्त्रयित्वाhaving consulted / after deliberating

तुbut/indeed

कौन्तेयO son of Kuntī

उत्तरेणwith Uttarā

महात्मनाwith the great-souled one

इतिकर्तव्यताम्the course of action / what is to be done

सर्वाम्entire/all

राजन्O king

पार्थेin/with Pārtha (Arjuna)

युधिष्ठिरेin/with Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Uttara

Yudhiṣṭhira (Pārtha/Kaunteya)

Janamejaya (Rājan, implied addressee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma in governance and crisis includes seeking counsel and clarifying the complete course of action (itikartavyatā). Right action is strengthened by deliberation with capable allies rather than impulsive decisions.

What is happening in the narrative?

After discussion with Uttara, Yudhiṣṭhira finalizes all practical arrangements—what must be done and how—signaling a transition from deliberation to organized execution within the Virāṭa-parvan events.