Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अपन का बछ। ] अतडणऑफा<ज एकोनचत्वारिशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: शत्रुसे सदा सावधान रहनेके विषयमें राजा ब्रद्म॒दत्त और पूजनी चिड़ियाका संवाद युधिछिर उवाच उक्तो मन्त्रो महाबाहों विश्वासो नास्ति शत्रुषु । कथं हि राजा वर्तेत यदि सर्वत्र नाश्वसेत्‌

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ukto mantro mahābāho viśvāso nāsti śatruṣu | kathaṃ hi rājā varteta yadi sarvatra nāśvaset ||

Translation

યુધિષ્ઠિરે કહ્યું—હે મહાબાહો! ઉપદેશ આપવામાં આવ્યો છે કે શત્રુઓ પર વિશ્વાસ ન કરવો. તો જો રાજા ક્યાંય પણ નિશ્ચિંત ન રહી શકે, તો તે કેવી રીતે વર્તે?

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhishthira

उवाचsaid

उक्तःspoken, stated

मन्त्रःcounsel, advice

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

विश्वासःtrust, confidence

नnot

अस्तिis, exists

शत्रुषुin/among enemies

कथम्how

हिindeed, for

राजाa king

वर्तेतshould act, should conduct himself

यदिif

सर्वत्रeverywhere

नnot

आश्वसेत्should feel secure/trust

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

śatru (enemies)

rājā (king)

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?

The verse frames a rājadharma dilemma: political prudence warns against trusting enemies, yet a ruler must still function effectively. It introduces the need for balanced vigilance—governance requires caution without paralysis.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira responds to prior advice about never trusting enemies and asks how a king can practically rule if he must remain wary in every place and circumstance, setting up further instruction through exempla and dialogue.