Shloka 38

Devanagari script

एतद्विचार्य बहुशो बुद्धया बुद्धिमतां वर,“बुद्धिमानोंमें श्रेष्ठ महाराज! अपनी बुद्धिसे इस विषयमें बहुत सोच-विचार करके आपको जो परम मंगलकारक कृत्य जान पड़े, उसके लिये मुझे आज्ञा दें!

Transliteration

etad vicārya bahuśo buddhyā buddhimatāṁ vara | buddhimānāṁ śreṣṭha mahārāja! svayā buddhyā’smin viṣaye bahu cintayitvā yat te parama-maṅgala-kārakaṁ kṛtyaṁ pratibhāti, tasmai me ’dya ājñāṁ dehi ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Having reflected on this again and again with your own discernment, O best among the wise—O great king—command me today toward whatever course of action you judge to be supremely auspicious and beneficial.”

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विचार्य: having considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• बहुशः: many times, repeatedly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशस्

• बुद्ध्या: with (your) intellect
• बुद्ध्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• बुद्धिमताम्: of the intelligent (ones)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्धिमत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वर: O best (one)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Mahārāja (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wise action should follow repeated deliberation (vicāra) guided by buddhi, aiming at the most auspicious and welfare-producing outcome; authority is urged to command only after ethical discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses the king (implicitly Dhṛtarāṣṭra), urging him to think carefully and then issue a clear instruction for the course of action he deems most beneficial amid the unfolding war context.