Shloka 13

धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa

Devanagari script

दुष्टानां प्रतिषेद्धा5डसीद्‌ धार्मिकाणां च रक्षिता

Transliteration

duṣṭānāṃ pratiṣeddhā āsīd dhārmikāṇāṃ ca rakṣitā

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “He stood as a restrainer of the wicked and as a protector of the righteous.”

Word by Word

• दुष्टानाम्: of the wicked
• दुष्टानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• प्रतिषेद्धा: restrainer, one who checks
• प्रतिषेद्धा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिषेधृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• धार्मिकाणाम्: of the righteous
• धार्मिकाणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्मिक
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

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

• रक्षिता: protector
• रक्षिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an ethical ideal of leadership: dharma is upheld by actively restraining harmful conduct and by safeguarding those who live righteously.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra characterizes a figure (implied from the surrounding context) as fulfilling a dual royal duty—checking the wicked and protecting the righteous—framing the ongoing war narrative in terms of moral responsibility.