Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच आपद्धर्मार्थकुशलो महाबुद्धिर्युधिष्ठिर: । सर्वान्‌ भ्रातृन्‌ समानीय वासुदेव॑ च शाश्वतम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca āpaddharmārthakuśalo mahābuddhir yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | sarvān bhrātṝn samānīya vāsudevaṃ ca śāśvatam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Yudhiṣṭhira—skilled in discerning the demands of dharma in times of crisis and endowed with great intelligence—gathered all his brothers together, and also summoned Vāsudeva, the eternal one.

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आपद्धर्मार्थकुशलः: skilled in the aims of dharma in times of distress
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपद्धर्मार्थकुशल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाबुद्धिः: of great intellect
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबुद्धि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वान्: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• भ्रातॄन्: brothers
• भ्रातॄन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• समानीय: having assembled / having brought together
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-नी
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Active

• वासुदेवम्: Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• वासुदेवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• शाश्वतम्: eternal
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• the brothers (Pāṇḍavas)
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In moments of danger, dharma must be applied with discernment (āpaddharma) rather than rigidly; wise leadership seeks counsel—both from trusted kin and from higher, principled guidance—before acting.

What is happening in the narrative?

As tensions move toward war in the Udyoga Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira convenes his brothers and calls Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) to deliberate on the proper course of action, signaling a formal consultation at a critical juncture.