Shloka 13

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर महाप्राज्ञ सर्वशास्त्रविशारद । शृणुष्व वचन तात धर्म्य स्वरग्य च जल्पत:

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira mahāprājña sarvaśāstraviśārada | śṛṇuṣva vacana tāta dharmyaṃ svargyaṃ ca jalpataḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Ô Yudhiṣṭhira, grand en sagesse et versé dans tous les śāstras, cher enfant—écoute mes paroles. Je te donnerai un conseil conforme au dharma et qui mène au ciel ; entends-le tandis que je parle.»

Word by Word

• {'yudhiṣṭhira': 'Yudhiṣṭhira (eldest Pāṇḍava

• exemplar of dharma)', 'mahāprājña': 'greatly wise, of profound understanding', 'sarva-śāstra-viśārada': 'skilled/learned in all treatises (law, ethics, sacred learning)', 'śṛṇuṣva': 'listen (imperative, 2nd person singular)', 'vacana': 'speech, statement, counsel', 'tāta': 'dear child

• affectionate address', 'dharmyam': 'in accordance with dharma

• righteous', 'svargyam': 'leading to heaven

• conducive to heavenly merit', 'ca': 'and', 'jalpataḥ': 'of one speaking

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the forthcoming instruction as both dharmya (aligned with righteous duty) and svargya (productive of heavenly merit), emphasizing that ethical counsel should be grounded in śāstra and aimed at moral and spiritual uplift.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully, praising his learning and wisdom, and asks him to listen attentively as he introduces a piece of righteous counsel that promises beneficial consequences.