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

હે કુરુશ્રેષ્ઠ, તારે આ રીતે પ્રજાહિત માટે વર્તવું જોઈએ; કારણ કે, તાત, પ્રજાના કલ્યાણમાં સદૈવ લાગેલા રહેવાથી જ ઇહલોક અને પરલોક—બન્નેમાં સુખ-કલ્યાણ પ્રાપ્ત થાય છે.

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.