Shloka 53

Dambhodbhava, Nara-Nārāyaṇa, and the Counsel to Abandon Hubris

Udyoga-parva 94

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थों सम्प्रधारयैव यदि सत्यं ब्रवीम्पहम्‌ प्रमु्चेमान्‌ मृत्युपाशात्‌ क्षत्रियान्‌ पुरुषर्षभ

Transliteration

dharma-arthau sampradhāryaiva yadi satyaṃ bravīmy aham | pramucyemān mṛtyu-pāśāt kṣatriyān puruṣarṣabha, janeśvara | āpase pāṇḍavānāṃ rājyaṃ lauṭā dene-ke sivā dūsrī kaun-sī bāt iha kahī jā sakatī hai | asyāṃ sabhāyāṃ ye bhūmipālā niṣaṇṇāḥ, te dharma-artha-vicāraṃ kṛtvā svayaṃ vadantu—ahaṃ samyak bravīmi vā na vā | puruṣaratna, bhavān imān kṣatriyān mṛtyu-phandāt mocayatu ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “If I speak the truth, let the kings here weigh dharma and artha and declare it themselves. O lord of peoples, what else can be said in this assembly except that you should restore the Pāṇḍavas’ kingdom? By doing so, you would free these kṣatriyas from the noose of death. O jewel among men, release these warriors from the snare of mortal destruction.”

Word by Word

• धर्मार्थौ: dharma and artha
• धर्मार्थौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक), अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• सम्प्रधार्य: having well-considered
• सम्प्रधार्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-धृ (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund), Non-finite

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रवीमि: I speak/say
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, 1st, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Common, Nominative, Singular

• प्रमुच्य: having released / by releasing
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-मुच् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund), Non-finite

• इमान्: these
• इमान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मृत्युपाशात्: from the noose of death
• मृत्युपाशात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• क्षत्रियान्: the kshatriyas
• क्षत्रियान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पुरुषर्षभ: O bull among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जनेश्वर: O lord of people
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)
• पाण्डव (Pāṇḍavas)
• क्षत्रिय (Kṣatriyas)
• भूमिपाल (kings in the assembly)
• सभा (assembly)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Political action must be judged by both dharma (justice) and artha (practical welfare). The ethically right and strategically wise course is to restore the Pāṇḍavas’ rightful kingdom, thereby preventing a catastrophic war and saving kṣatriya lives.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, the speaker urges the assembled kings to reflect and publicly affirm that the only meaningful resolution is returning the Pāṇḍavas’ kingdom—framing this as the way to free the warrior class from the impending ‘noose of death’ of war.