Shloka 40

धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts

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

viparītakaśna me śatrur niyamyaśna bhaven naraḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Celui qui agit à l’encontre de mon ordre est mon ennemi ; mais celui qui se maîtrise et vit dans la discipline devient (véritablement) un homme de bien.» Dans ce contexte, Yudhiṣṭhira—connu pour sa compassion et sa constance—exhortait sans cesse ses frères et ses ministres à honorer le roi Dhṛtarāṣṭra comme un aîné vénérable : quiconque demeurait obéissant à ses directives devait être tenu pour bienveillant de Yudhiṣṭhira, tandis que celui qui agissait à l’opposé serait traité en adversaire et châtié.

Word by Word

• {'viparīta': 'contrary, opposite, acting against (what is proper or commanded)', 'kaśna (uncertain reading)': "unclear/possibly corrupt in the provided text

• context suggests 'ācaraṇa' (conduct) or a term indicating contrary behavior", 'me': 'my', 'śatruḥ': 'enemy', 'niyamya': 'having restrained, controlling (oneself)

• from √yam with ni-', 'aśna (uncertain reading)': "unclear/possibly corrupt

• could relate to 'aśnāti' (eats) but narrative sense points to 'niyamya' as key", 'bhavet': 'may become, becomes', 'naraḥ': 'man, person', 'ājñā': 'command, order', 'daṇḍa': 'punishment, royal chastisement', 'suhṛd': 'well-wisher, friend'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• brothers of Yudhiṣṭhira (Pāṇḍavas, implied)
• ministers (mantrins, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse and its narrative frame teach that social and political harmony depends on self-restraint (niyama) and obedience to rightful, respected authority—especially honoring elders. Acting contrary to such authority is treated as hostility and invites punishment, underscoring dharma in governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the war, Yudhiṣṭhira instructs his brothers and ministers to treat King Dhṛtarāṣṭra as a venerable superior. He declares that those who follow Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s commands are his friends, while those who oppose them are his enemies and will face royal discipline.