Shloka 20

धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement

Devanagari script

मन्त्रिणश्वैव कुर्वीथा द्विजान्‌ विद्याविशारदान्‌

Transliteration

mantriṇaś caiva kurvīthā dvijān vidyāviśāradān

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “You should also appoint as your ministers learned brāhmaṇas—men thoroughly skilled in knowledge—so that counsel and governance rest on wisdom and dharma.”

Word by Word

• मन्त्रिणः: ministers, counsellors
• मन्त्रिणः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• एव: indeed, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• कुर्वीथाः: you should make/appoint
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• द्विजान्: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विद्याविशारदान्: skilled/learned in knowledge
• विद्याविशारदान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्याविशारद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• dvija (brāhmaṇas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Governance should be guided by wise, well-educated counsellors; appointing learned dvijas as ministers is presented as a dharmic safeguard for ethical decision-making.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a prescriptive instruction is given about proper administration: the ruler is advised to select ministers from among those who are deeply learned and competent in knowledge.