Shloka 6

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry and Sañjaya’s Etymologies of Kṛṣṇa’s Names

Puruṣottama-nāma-nirvacana

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट्र रवाच दुर्योधन हृषीकेशं प्रपद्यस्व जनार्दनम्‌ आप्तो न: संजयस्तात शरणं गच्छ केशवम्‌,यह सुनकर धृतराष्ट्रने दुर्योधनसे कहा--बेटा दुर्योधन! संजय हमलोगोंका विश्वासपात्र है। इसकी बातोंपर श्रद्धा करके तुम सम्पूर्ण इन्द्रियोंके प्रेरक जनार्दन भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णका आश्रय लो; उन्हींकी शरणमें जाओ

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca—duryodhana hṛṣīkeśaṃ prapadyasva janārdanam | āpto naḥ sañjayas tāta śaraṇaṃ gaccha keśavam ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “O Duryodhana, take refuge in Hṛṣīkeśa, in Janārdana. Dear son, Sañjaya is our trusted well-wisher; place faith in what he says and go for protection to Keśava—seek Kṛṣṇa alone as your shelter.”

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sañjaya said', 'dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca': 'Dhṛtarāṣṭra said', 'duryodhana': 'Duryodhana (eldest Kaurava prince)', 'hṛṣīkeśa': '‘Lord of the senses’

• epithet of Kṛṣṇa', 'prapadyasva': 'take refuge

• surrender yourself (imperative, 2nd person singular)', 'janārdana': '‘Afflicter of the wicked / protector of people’

• epithet of Kṛṣṇa', 'āptaḥ': 'trusted, reliable, intimate well-wisher', 'naḥ': 'of us

• our', 'tāta': 'dear son

• affectionate address', 'śaraṇam': 'refuge, protection, shelter', 'gaccha': 'go (imperative)', 'keśava': 'Keśava

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Duryodhana
• Kṛṣṇa (Hṛṣīkeśa/Janārdana/Keśava)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid political crisis, the ethically sound course is to heed trustworthy counsel and seek refuge in the divine source of right guidance (Kṛṣṇa), implying humility, restraint of the senses, and alignment with dharma rather than stubborn self-will.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s words: the blind king urges his son Duryodhana to trust Sañjaya’s message and to approach Kṛṣṇa—addressed by epithets Hṛṣīkeśa, Janārdana, and Keśava—for protection and right direction as the conflict moves toward war.