Shloka 24

द्रुपदवाक्यं

Drupada’s Counsel on Conciliation and Alliance Mobilization

Devanagari script

कुमारश्न कलिड्डानामीश्वरो युद्धदुर्मद: । एतेषां प्रेष्यतां शीघ्रमेतद्धि मम रोचते

Transliteration

kumāraśna kaliḍḍānām īśvaro yuddha-durmadaḥ | eteṣāṁ preṣyatāṁ śīghram etad dhi mama rocate ||

Translation

Drupada dit : «Kumāraśna, seigneur des Kaliḍḍas, est farouchement enivré de l’orgueil de la guerre. Qu’on l’envoie sur-le-champ : telle est, en vérité, la voie qui me plaît».

Word by Word

• कुमारः: the prince/young man
• कुमारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• कलिङ्गानाम्: of the Kalingas
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• ईश्वरः: lord/ruler
• ईश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युद्ध-दुर्मदः: arrogant/maddened by war
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्धदुर्मद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एतेषाम्: of these (men)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• प्रेष्यताम्: let (them) be sent
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष् (प्रेषयति)
• Form: Imperative (Lot), Third, Plural, Passive

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• मम: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• रोचते: pleases/is agreeable
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुच्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

दुपद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• दुपद (Drupada)
• कुमारश्न (Kumāraśna)
• कलिड्डाः (Kaliḍḍas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a political-ethical judgment: a ruler assesses another leader’s war-pride (yuddha-durmada) as a decisive trait and chooses swift action. It implicitly warns that unchecked martial arrogance invites countermeasures and shapes diplomatic decisions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Drupada is giving counsel/issuing a decision about sending (dispatching) Kumāraśna—identified as the ruler of the Kaliḍḍas—promptly, indicating approval of this plan within the broader preparations and negotiations of the Udyoga Parva.