Shloka 2

Drupada’s Instruction to the Purohita for the Kaurava Embassy (द्रुपदोपदेशः दूतप्रेषणम्)

Devanagari script

द्विजेषु वैद्या: श्रेयांसो वैद्येषु कृतबुद्धयः । कृतबुद्धिषु कर्तार: कर्तषु ब्रह्मवादिन: २ ।। ब्राह्मणोंमें विद्वान, विद्वानोंमें सिद्धान्तके जानकार, सिद्धान्तके ज्ञाताओंमें भी तदनुसार आचरण करनेवाले पुरुष तथा उनमें भी ब्रह्मवेत्ता श्रेष्ठ हैं

Transliteration

dvijeṣu vaidyāḥ śreyāṃso vaidyeṣu kṛtabuddhayaḥ | kṛtabuddhiṣu kartāraḥ kartṛṣu brahmavādinaḥ || 2 ||

Translation

द्विजों में विद्वान श्रेष्ठ हैं, विद्वानों में सिद्धान्त में स्थिर बुद्धिवाले श्रेष्ठ हैं। स्थिर बुद्धिवालों में जो आचरण करते हैं वे श्रेष्ठ हैं, और आचरण करनेवालों में ब्रह्म के वक्ता-वेत्ता सर्वोच्च हैं।

Word by Word

द्विजेषुamong the twice-born (Brahmins)

वैद्याःthe learned/knowers (of the Veda)

श्रेयांसःbetter, superior

वैद्येषुamong the learned

कृतबुद्धयःthose of formed/settled understanding (decided in doctrine)

कृतबुद्धिषुamong those of settled understanding

कर्तारःdoers, practitioners

कर्तृषुamong the doers/practitioners

ब्रह्मवादिनःexpounders of Brahman (Brahma-knowers/teachers of Brahman)

Speaker

दुपद उवाच

Characters & Entities

द

द्विज (twice-born)

व

वैद्य/विद्वान (the learned)

क

कृतबुद्धि (persons of settled understanding)

क

कर्ता (doers)

ब

ब्रह्मवादी (expounders/knowers of Brahman)

द

द्रुपद (Drupada)

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?

Excellence is graded from birth-status to learning, from learning to settled discernment, from discernment to consistent action, and finally to realization/teaching of Brahman—implying that lived dharma and spiritual insight surpass mere scholarship or social identity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Drupada speaks in a reflective, evaluative tone, emphasizing what kinds of people are truly ‘श्रेष्ठ’ (superior), thereby framing counsel and decision-making around dharma, competence, and spiritual maturity rather than rank alone.