Shloka 15

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 193 — Hastināpura Mantra: Duryodhana’s Proposals to Divide the Pāṇḍavas

Devanagari script

तल्‍्लक्षयित्वा ट्रुपदस्य पुत्रो राजा च सर्व: सह मन्त्रिमुख्यै: । समर्थयामासुरुपेत्य हृष्टा: कुन्तीसुतान्‌ पार्थिव राजपुत्रान्‌,जनमेजय! यह सब देखकर राजा ट्रपद, राजकुमार और सभी प्रधान मन्त्री बड़े प्रसन्न हुए और उनके पास जाकर उन्होंने अपने मनमें यही निश्चय किया कि ये राजकुमार कुन्तीदेवीके ही पुत्र हैं

Transliteration

tal lakṣayitvā drupadasya putro rājā ca sarvaḥ saha mantrimukhyaiḥ | samarthayāmāsur upetya hṛṣṭāḥ kuntīsutān pārthiva rājaputrān, janamejaya ||

Translation

Seeing this, Drupada’s son, the king himself, and all the leading ministers—delighted—approached them and came to a firm conclusion: these royal youths, the sons of kings, were indeed the sons of Kuntī. Thus, their recognition was grounded not in rumor but in observed signs and prudent deliberation.

Word by Word

• {'tat': 'that (this matter/event)', 'lakṣayitvā': 'having noticed, having observed carefully', 'drupadasya': 'of Drupada', 'putraḥ': 'son', 'rājā': 'king', 'sarvaḥ': 'all (together), the whole (group)', 'saha': 'together with', 'mantri-mukhyaiḥ': 'with the chief ministers', 'samarthayāmāsuḥ': 'they concluded/affirmed, they resolved as fitting (took a definite view)', 'upetya': 'having approached, going near', 'hṛṣṭāḥ': 'delighted, pleased', 'kuntī-sutān': 'the sons of Kuntī', 'pārthivāḥ': 'royal, belonging to kings', 'rāja-putrān': 'princes, sons of a king', 'janamejaya': 'O Janamejaya (address to the listener)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Drupada
• Drupada’s son (Dhr̥ṣṭadyumna, implied by context)
• Kuntī
• Kuntī’s sons (the Pāṇḍavas, implied)
• King (unnamed in the verse-context)
• Chief ministers

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights prudent discernment: leaders should form conclusions based on observed signs and careful counsel rather than impulse. Recognition of rightful identity and lineage is treated as ethically significant in royal and social order (dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

After observing certain indications, Drupada’s son, the king, and the chief ministers happily approach the young princes and decide that they are Kuntī’s sons (the Pāṇḍavas). This marks a moment of identification and political-social acknowledgment.