Shloka 6

धृतराष्ट्र-सेवा, राज्य-कार्य-विभागः

Service to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Allocation of State Duties

Devanagari script

यदि चाहमनुग्राह्मो भवतां सुहृदां तथा । धृतराष्ट्रे यथापूर्व वृत्तिं वर्तितुमरहथ,“यदि आप सब सुहृदोंका मुझपर अनुग्रह हो तो आपलोग महाराज धूृतराष्ट्रके प्रति वैसा ही भाव और बर्ताव बनाये रखें, जैसा पहले रखते थे

Transliteration

yadi cāham anugrāhyo bhavatāṃ suhṛdāṃ tathā | dhṛtarāṣṭre yathāpūrvaṃ vṛttiṃ vartitum arhatha ||

Translation

હે મારા સુહૃદો, જો તમે મને અનુકંપા બતાવવા ઇચ્છતા હો, તો ધૃતરાષ્ટ્ર મહારાજ પ્રત્યે જેમ પહેલાં ભાવ અને વર્તન રાખતા હતા તેમ જ ચાલુ રાખો.

Word by Word

यदिif

चand

अहम्I

अनुग्राह्यःto be favored / one who should be shown favor

भवताम्of you (honorific plural)

सुहृदाम्of friends / well-wishers

तथाthus / in that manner

धृतराष्ट्रेtowards/in the case of Dhṛtarāṣṭra

यथाas / just as

पूर्वम्formerly / before

वृत्तिम्conduct / behavior / attitude

वर्तितुम्to behave / to conduct oneself

अर्हथyou ought / you are fit (to)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

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 emphasizes ethical continuity in relationships: even after upheaval, one should maintain respectful, steady conduct toward an elder king like Dhṛtarāṣṭra, guided by goodwill (suhṛt-bhāva) rather than shifting emotions or political convenience.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana, narrating events, conveys an appeal to the assembled well-wishers: if they wish to show him favor, they should keep treating Dhṛtarāṣṭra with the same regard and behavior they had shown earlier, preserving established courtesies and obligations.