Shloka 9

Droṇa–Drupada Saṃvāda and Droṇa’s Reception at the Kuru Court (द्रोण-द्रुपद-संवादः; कुरुनगरप्रवेशः)

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्ता ततः कुन्ती पाण्डुं परपुरंजयम्‌ | प्रत्युवाच वरारोहा भर्तु: प्रियहिते रता,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! इस प्रकार कही जानेपर पतिके प्रिय और हितमें लगी रहनेवाली सुन्दरांगी कुन्ती शत्रुओंकी राजधानीपर विजय पानेवाले महाराज पाण्डुसे इस प्रकार बोली--

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca evam uktā tataḥ kuntī pāṇḍuṁ parapuraṁjayam | pratyuvāca varārohā bhartuḥ priyahite ratā ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Cuando Kuntī hubo sido así interpelada, aquella dama de hermosos miembros—siempre entregada a lo que complacía y beneficiaba a su esposo—respondió al rey Pāṇḍu, conquistador de las ciudades enemigas.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaishampayana

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

उक्ताhaving been addressed

ततःthen

कुन्तीKunti

पाण्डुम्Pandu

परपुरंजयम्conqueror of enemy-cities

प्रत्युवाचreplied

वरारोहाthe fair-thighed (lady)

भर्तुःof (her) husband

प्रियहितेin (his) pleasure and welfare

रताdevoted/engaged

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kuntī

Pāṇḍu

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical ideal of intention: Kuntī’s speech is framed as motivated by her husband’s welfare (priya-hita), suggesting that counsel and action within family and governance should be guided by beneficent duty rather than self-interest.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being spoken to, Kuntī responds to King Pāṇḍu. The narrator (Vaiśampāyana) introduces her reply by describing her as devoted to her husband’s good, preparing the listener for the content of her forthcoming counsel.