Shloka 16

नारदेन धृतराष्ट्रगतिवर्णनम् | Nārada’s Account of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Future Course

Devanagari script

भ्राता तव महाराज देवदेव: सनातन: । धारणान्मनसा ध्यानाद्‌ यं धर्म कवयो विदु:

Transliteration

bhrātā tava mahārāja devadevaḥ sanātanaḥ | dhāraṇān manasā dhyānād yaṃ dharma kavayo viduḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O great king, your brother is the eternal God of gods. Through inner steadiness (dhāraṇā), through the mind’s collectedness, and through meditation (dhyāna), he is the very Dharma whom the sages recognize.”

Word by Word

• भ्राता: brother
• भ्राता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• देवदेवः: god of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सनातनः: eternal
• सनातनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धारणात्: from/through holding (steadfastness)
• धारणात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारण
• Form: Feminine, Ablative, Singular

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• ध्यानात्: from/through meditation
• ध्यानात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• यम्: whom/which
• यम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मम्: Dharma / righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कवयः: sages/poets
• कवयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विदुः: know/recognize
• विदुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mahārāja (the king addressed)
• the king’s brother (implied as a divine figure)
• Devadeva (epithet)
• Dharma (as a principle/personified)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True Dharma is not merely external rule-following; it is recognized through inner discipline—steadfast concentration (dhāraṇā), mental collectedness, and meditation (dhyāna). The verse elevates Dharma as a living, divine reality known by the wise.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses a king and identifies the king’s brother as an eternal, supreme divine being—so aligned with yogic steadiness and contemplation that sages recognize him as Dharma itself.