Shloka 20

धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas

Devanagari script

एवं त्वया कुरुश्रेष्ठ वर्तितव्यं प्रजाहितम्‌ । उभयोर्लोकयोस्तात प्राप्तये नित्यमेव हि,तात! कुरुश्रेष्ठ) इस प्रकार तुम्हें इहलोक और परलोकमें सुख पानेके लिये सदा ही प्रजावर्गके हित-साधनमें संलग्न रहना चाहिये

Transliteration

evaṁ tvayā kuruśreṣṭha vartitavyaṁ prajāhitam | ubhayor lokayos tāta prāptaye nityam eva hi ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra dijo: “Oh el mejor de los Kurus, debes conducirte de modo que sirva al bienestar del pueblo. Pues, hijo querido, es mediante la dedicación constante al bien de los súbditos como se alcanza la dicha en ambos mundos: aquí y en el más allá.”

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

त्वयाby you

कुरुश्रेष्ठO best of the Kurus

वर्तितव्यम्should be conducted / must be done

प्रजाहितम्beneficial to the subjects

उभयोःof both

लोकयोःof the two worlds

तातO dear one / O son

प्राप्तयेfor the attainment

नित्यम्always

एवindeed, certainly

हिfor, indeed

तातO dear one

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Kuruśreṣṭha (addressed person, ‘best of the Kurus’)

prajā (the subjects/people)

ubhau lokau (this world and the next)

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?

A ruler or leader should remain steadily engaged in actions that benefit the people; such public-spirited conduct is presented as the means to secure good in both this life and the next.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a Kuru leader with counsel, urging sustained commitment to the welfare of the subjects as the proper standard of conduct and as a path to auspicious results in both worlds.