Shloka 34

अध्याय २९ — वासुदेव–संजय संवादः

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and the Ethics of Governance

Devanagari script

या नो भार्या: संजय वेत्थ तत्र तासां सर्वासां कुशल तात पृच्छे: । सुसंगुप्ता: सुरभयो5नवद्या: कच्चिद्‌ गृहानावसथाप्रमत्ता:,तात संजय! हस्तिनापुरमें हमारे भाइयोंकी जो स्त्रियाँ हैं, उन सबको तो तुम जानते ही हो। उन सबकी कुशल पूछना और कहना क्या तुमलोग सर्वथा सुरक्षित रहकर निर्दोष जीवन बिता रही हो? तुम्हें आवश्यक सुगन्ध आदि प्रसाधन-सामग्रियाँ प्राप्त होती हैं न? तुम घरमें प्रमादशून्य होकर रहती हो न? भद्र महिलाओ! क्‍या तुम अपने श्वशुरजनोंके प्रति क्रूरतारहित कल्याणकारी बर्ताव करती हो तथा जिस प्रकार तुम्हारे पति अनुकूल बने रहें, वैसे व्यवहार और सद्भावको अपने हृदयमें स्थान देती हो?

Transliteration

yā no bhāryāḥ sañjaya vettha tatra tāsāṁ sarvāsāṁ kuśala tāta pṛcchaḥ | susaṁguptāḥ surabhayo 'navadyāḥ kaccid gṛhān āvasathāpramattāḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Sañjaya, you know the wives of our brothers who are there in Hastināpura. Dear one, ask after the welfare of all of them. Are they well protected and living blamelessly? Do they receive the needed fragrant unguents and other adornments? Do they remain vigilant and careful within the household?”

Word by Word

याःwho/which (women)

नःof us/our

भार्याःwives

संजयO Sañjaya

वेत्थyou know

तत्रthere

तासाम्of them

सर्वासाम्of all

कुशलwelfare, well-being

तातdear one / sir

पृच्छेःyou should ask/inquire

सुसंगुप्ताःwell-protected/secure

सुरभयःfragrant

अनवद्याःblameless/irreproachable

कच्चित्whether indeed? (interrogative particle)

गृहान्homes/households

आवसथdwelling/residence

अप्रमत्ताःcareful/vigilant, not negligent

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Sañjaya

Hastināpura

wives of the Pāṇḍava brothers (collective reference)

fragrant unguents/adornments (surabhi-/prasādhana sense)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid political crisis, dharma includes attentive care for dependents: ensuring women’s safety, dignity, material needs, and a blameless, vigilant household life. Welfare (kuśala) is not only physical security but also ethical and social well-being.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Sañjaya, who has come from Hastināpura, and asks him to convey inquiries about the well-being of the Pāṇḍavas’ womenfolk there—whether they are protected, provided for, and living carefully and without reproach.