Shloka 166

Devanagari script

अब्रवीत्‌ त॑ महेष्वासं धर्मराजो धनंजयम्‌ । तदनन्तर अत्यन्त प्रसन्न हो बारंबार मुसकराते हुए पाण्डुकुमार धर्मराज युधिष्छिरने महाधनुर्धर धनंजयको बड़े प्रेमसे हृदयसे लगाकर उनका मस्तक सूँघा और उनसे इस प्रकार कहा--

Transliteration

abravīt taṁ maheṣvāsaṁ dharmarājo dhanañjayam | tadanantaraṁ atyanta-prasannaḥ san bāraṁbāraṁ muskurāte hue pāṇḍukumāro dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhirena mahādhanurdharaṁ dhanañjayaṁ baḍe premasa hṛdayase lagākara tasya mastakaṁ suṅghya ca enam evaṁ uvāca —

Translation

Sanjaya said: Then Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira addressed Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), that great archer. Immediately afterward, the son of Pāṇḍu—Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira—became exceedingly pleased; smiling again and again, he embraced the mighty bowman Dhanañjaya with deep affection, smelled his head in a gesture of intimate blessing, and spoke to him in this manner.

Word by Word

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तं: him
• तं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महेष्वासं: the great archer
• महेष्वासं: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेष्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धर्मराजः: Dharma-king (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• धर्मराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धनंजयम्: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• Pāṇḍu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid war, dharma is expressed through restraint, gratitude, and affectionate recognition of another’s righteous effort. Yudhiṣṭhira’s embrace and blessing-like gesture toward Arjuna models leadership grounded in humane bonds rather than mere command.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira, delighted, repeatedly smiles, embraces Arjuna (Dhanañjaya), and affectionately smells his head—an intimate gesture of blessing and approval—before speaking further.