Shloka 3

धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts

Devanagari script

आनृशंस्यपरो राजा प्रीयमाणो युधिष्ठिर: । उवाच स तदा भ्रातृनमात्यांश्व महीपति:

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca |

Ānṛśaṁsyaparo rājā prīyamāṇo Yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |

Uvācsa tadā bhrātṝn amātyāṁś ca mahīpatiḥ |

Viparītakaś ca me śatrur niyamyaś ca bhaven naraḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: King Yudhiṣṭhira, devoted to compassion and ever gentle in temper, then addressed his brothers and ministers: “Whoever acts in obedience to my command is to be regarded as my well-wisher; but whoever behaves contrary to it is my enemy and shall be restrained and punished.”

Word by Word

• आनृशंस्यपरः: having compassion as his highest (quality)
• आनृशंस्यपरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आनृशंस्य-पर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रीयमाणः: being pleased, rejoicing
• प्रीयमाणः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शानच् (present passive participle/ātmanepada sense)

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• भ्रातॄन्: brothers
• भ्रातॄन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अमात्यान्: ministers, counselors
• अमात्यान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमात्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• महीपतिः: lord of the earth, king
• महीपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विपरीतकः: acting contrariwise, perverse
• विपरीतकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपरीत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• मे: of me, my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• शत्रुः: enemy
• शत्रुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नियम्य: having restrained/controlled (having kept under discipline)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + यम् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

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

• भवेत्: would be, should be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• brothers (Pāṇḍavas, implied)
• ministers/counselors (amātyas, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler grounded in compassion still upholds order: loyalty is defined by adherence to rightful command, while deliberate contrariness is treated as enmity and met with restraint and punishment. Mercy and discipline are presented as complementary duties of kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira, in a calm and benevolent mood, addresses his brothers and ministers, laying down a policy of governance: those who follow his directives are friends; those who act against them are to be controlled and penalized.