Shloka 15

द्रौपदी-वरण-प्रत्ययः — Intelligence Reports and the Kaurava Court’s Response

Devanagari script

गृहीतवाक्यो नृपते: पुरोधा गत्वा प्रशंभामभिधाय तेषाम्‌ । वाक्यं समग्र नृपतेर्यथाव- दुवाच चानुक्रमविक्रमेण,राजाका अनुरोध मानकर पुरोहितजी गये और उन सबकी प्रशंसा करके राजा द्रुपदके वचनोंको ठीक-ठीक एकके बाद एक करके क्रमश: कहने लगे--

Transliteration

gṛhītavākyo nṛpateḥ purodhā gatvā praśaṁbhām abhidhāya teṣām | vākyaṁ samagraṁ nṛpater yathāvad uvāca cānukramavikrameṇa ||

Translation

Having received the king’s message, the royal priest went to them and, after offering words of praise, conveyed in full the king’s statement—accurately and in proper sequence—recounting it step by step as it had been spoken.

Word by Word

गृहीतवाक्यःhaving received the message/words

नृपतेःof the king

पुरोधाःthe royal priest

गत्वाhaving gone

प्रशंभाम्praise/commendation

अभिधायhaving spoken/uttered

तेषाम्of them

वाक्यम्speech/statement

समग्रम्entire/complete

नृपतेःof the king

यथावत्properly/as it was

उवाचsaid/spoke

चand

अनुक्रमविक्रमेणwith orderly sequence and step-by-step progression

Speaker

धृष्टह्ुम्न उवाच

Characters & Entities

nṛpati (the king)

purodhā (royal priest)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharma of communication in public life: a messenger or priest must convey a ruler’s words faithfully (yathāvat, samagram) and with proper decorum (beginning with praise), avoiding exaggeration, omission, or distortion.

What is happening in the narrative?

The king’s purohita, entrusted with a message, approaches the concerned party, offers courteous praise, and then delivers the king’s full statement in the exact order it was given, narrating it sequentially.