Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

विपरीतकश्न मे शत्रुर्नियम्यश्न भवेन्नर: । राजा युधिष्ठिर बड़े दयालु थे। वे सदा प्रसन्न रहकर अपने भाइयों और मन्त्रियोंसे कहा करते थे कि “ये राजा धृतराष्ट्र मेरे और आपलोगोंके माननीय हैं। जो इनकी आज्ञाके अधीन रहता है

Transliteration

viparītakṛc ca me śatrur niyamyaś ca bhaven naraḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “A man who acts contrary (to my command and to proper conduct) is my enemy; but the person who restrains himself and remains under discipline is to be regarded as loyal.” In context, Yudhiṣṭhira—known for compassion and steadiness—repeatedly told his brothers and ministers that King Dhṛtarāṣṭra was worthy of honor for them; whoever stayed obedient to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s directives was Yudhiṣṭhira’s well-wisher, while one who behaved oppositely would be treated as an enemy and liable to punishment.

Word by Word

• {'viparīta': 'contrary, opposite, acting against (instruction or propriety)', 'kṛt (kṛc)': 'doing, acting (one who does/behaves)', 'me': 'my', 'śatruḥ': 'enemy', 'niyamya': 'having restrained/controlled oneself

• under discipline', 'bhavet': 'would be, becomes', 'naraḥ': 'man, person', 'ājñā (contextual)': 'command, order', 'daṇḍa (contextual)': 'punishment, royal chastisement', 'suhṛd (contextual)': 'well-wisher, friend'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Loyalty is defined by disciplined obedience to rightful authority and ethical restraint; deliberate contrariness is treated as enmity and invites punishment. The verse frames governance as moral order: self-control and compliance sustain harmony, while defiance disrupts dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports Yudhiṣṭhira’s standing instruction to his brothers and ministers during the Āśramavāsika phase: Dhṛtarāṣṭra is to be honored, and those who follow his directives are counted as Yudhiṣṭhira’s allies; those who act in opposition are considered enemies and subject to royal discipline.