Shloka 42

Devanagari script

विपरीतकश्न मे शत्रुर्नियम्यश्न भवेन्नर: । राजा युधिष्ठिर बड़े दयालु थे। वे सदा प्रसन्न रहकर अपने भाइयों और मन्त्रियोंसे कहा करते थे कि “ये राजा धृतराष्ट्र मेरे और आपलोगोंके माननीय हैं। जो इनकी आज्ञाके अधीन रहता है, वही मेरा सुहृद्‌ है। विपरीत आचरण करनेवाला मेरा शत्रु है। वह मेरे दण्डका भागी होगा

Transliteration

viparītakṛc ca me śatrur niyamyakṛc ca bhaven naraḥ |

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana dijo: «Quien actúa en contra de mi mandato es mi enemigo; pero aquel que se contiene y vive en obediencia se vuelve mi bienhechor.» Así, el rey Yudhiṣṭhira, célebre por su compasión, decía con calma y de continuo a sus hermanos y ministros que el rey Dhṛtarāṣṭra era digno de honor para todos; quien permaneciera bajo su autoridad le sería grato, mientras que quien obrara en oposición incurriría en castigo.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'viparīta', 'definition': 'contrary, opposite, acting against (an order or proper conduct)'}, {'term': 'kṛt (kṛc)', 'definition': 'one who does/acts

• a doer (here: one who behaves in a certain way)'}, {'term': 'me', 'definition': 'my'}, {'term': 'śatruḥ', 'definition': 'enemy'}, {'term': 'niyamya', 'definition': 'having restrained/controlled (oneself)

• with self-discipline'}, {'term': 'bhavet', 'definition': 'would be, becomes'}, {'term': 'naraḥ', 'definition': 'man, person'}, {'term': 'daṇḍa', 'definition': 'punishment

• royal chastisement/discipline'}, {'term': 'ājñā', 'definition': 'command, order'}, {'term': 'suhṛd', 'definition': 'well-wisher, friend'}]

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Yudhiṣṭhira's brothers (Pāṇḍavas)
• ministers

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Yudhiṣṭhira frames loyalty in ethical terms: honoring a venerable elder-king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) and practicing self-restraint are marks of a true ally, while deliberate opposition to rightful authority invites just punishment. The verse links friendship with discipline and enmity with defiance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes Yudhiṣṭhira’s gentle but firm governance after the war: he instructs his brothers and ministers to treat Dhṛtarāṣṭra as worthy of reverence and to remain under his directives; those who act contrary are to be regarded as enemies and liable to royal chastisement.