Shloka 19

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 130: Kuntī’s Instruction on Rājadharma and Daṇḍanīti

Devanagari script

ततोअब्रवीन्महाबाहुर्धतराष्ट्रं जनार्दन: । अदृश्यमाने नेत्रे द्वे भवेतां कुरुनन्दन

Transliteration

tato 'bravīn mahābāhur dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ janārdanaḥ | adṛśyamāne netre dve bhavetāṃ kurunandana

Translation

Then Janārdana, the mighty-armed one, spoke to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: “O delight of the Kurus, when the two eyes are not seeing, let them be (as though) absent.”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed (one)
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• जनार्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• अदृश्यमाने: when (the two) are not being seen / are invisible
• अदृश्यमाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदृश्य
• Form: शानच् (present passive participle, Ātmanepada), neuter, locative, dual

• नेत्रे: two eyes
• नेत्रे: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र
• Form: neuter, nominative, dual

• द्वे: two
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि
• Form: neuter, nominative, dual

• भवेताम्: may (they) be / let (them) become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), 3, dual, Ātmanepada

• कुरुनन्दन: O delight of the Kurus
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुनन्दन
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• Kuru (dynasty)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical danger of ‘not seeing’—whether due to physical blindness or deliberate denial. When one refuses to perceive truth and consequences, one’s discernment collapses, enabling adharma and injustice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) addresses Dhṛtarāṣṭra with a pointed remark about the eyes not seeing. In context, it functions as admonition: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s impaired perception and partiality are being implicitly criticized as factors that allow wrongdoing to proceed.