Shloka 2

धृतराष्ट्रस्य बलाबलचिन्ता

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Strength and Preference for Śama

Devanagari script

प्रसंख्याय च सौक्ष्म्मेण गुणदोषान्‌ विचक्षण: । यथावन्मतितत्त्वेन जयकाम: सुतान्‌ प्रति

Transliteration

prasaṅkhyāya ca sūkṣmeṇa guṇadoṣān vicakṣaṇaḥ | yathāvan-mati-tattvena jayakāmaḥ sutān prati

Translation

Having carefully and subtly weighed the merits and faults, the discerning one—seeking victory—formed a judgment grounded in what was truly right, with his sons in view.

Word by Word

• प्रसंख्याय: having enumerated/assessed
• प्रसंख्याय: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-सम्-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

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

• सौक्ष्म्येण: with subtlety/fineness
• सौक्ष्म्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौक्ष्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• गुणदोषान्: merits and faults
• गुणदोषान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुणदोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• विचक्षणः: discerning, judicious
• विचक्षणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यथावत्: properly, as it truly is
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत्

• मति-तत्त्वेन: by the reality/essence of (his) understanding
• मति-तत्त्वेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मतितत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• जयकामः: desiring victory
• जयकामः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जयकाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुतान्: sons
• सुतान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• प्रति: towards, with regard to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• sons (sutāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sound action—especially in matters affecting one’s family and political outcomes—should arise from subtle, careful evaluation of both virtues and faults, and from judgment aligned with truth (tattva), not from impulse or partiality.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a discerning figure who, intent on securing victory, evaluates the situation by weighing pros and cons with fine discrimination and then forms a proper, reality-based judgment concerning his sons.