Shloka 39

धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement

Devanagari script

सेनाप्रणेता च भवेत्‌ तव तात दृढव्रतः

Transliteration

senāpraṇetā ca bhavet tava tāta dṛḍhavrataḥ

Translation

Waiśampāyana berkata—dan, wahai yang terkasih, hendaklah ia menjadi pemimpin pasukanmu dan panglima bala tentara—teguh pada ikrar, kukuh dalam disiplin.

Word by Word

• सेनाप्रणेता: leader of the army
• सेनाप्रणेता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना-प्रणेता
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भवेत्: should be / may become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तव: of you / your
• तव: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• तात: O dear one / O father (term of address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दृढव्रतः: firm in vow / steadfast
• दृढव्रतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ-व्रत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that military authority should be entrusted to a person who is dṛḍhavrata—steadfast, disciplined, and reliable—suggesting that power is ethically safest when guided by self-control and firm commitment to duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, narrating the events, reports a recommendation that someone should serve as the senāpraṇetā (army commander/leader) for the addressed person, highlighting the need for a dependable, vow-steadfast leader in matters of governance and security.