Shloka 3

धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas

Devanagari script

पर्युपासनकाले तु विपरीतं विधीयते । आमर्दकाले राजेन्द्र व्यपसर्पेत्‌ ततः परम्‌,आक्रमणकालमें शत्रुकी स्थिति विपरीत रहनी चाहिये अर्थात्‌ उसके सैनिक हृष्ट-पुष्ट एवं संतुष्ट नहीं होने चाहिये। राजेन्द्र! यदि शत्रुसे अपना मान मर्दन होनेकी सम्भावना हो तो वहाँसे भागकर किसी दूसरे मित्र राजाकी शरण लेनी चाहिये

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | paryupāsanakāle tu viparītaṃ vidhīyate | āmardakāle rājendra vyapasarpet tataḥ param ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Pada saat mengawasi dan menunggu, hendaknya ditempuh langkah yang berlawanan—jangan biarkan musuh berada dalam keadaan nyaman dan percaya diri. Wahai raja agung, bila pada saat menyerang ada bahaya kehormatanmu akan dihancurkan, mundurlah dari tempat itu; setelahnya carilah perlindungan pada raja sahabat yang lain.”

Word by Word

• {'dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca': 'Dhṛtarāṣṭra said', 'paryupāsana-kāla': 'the time of attending upon, watching, lying in wait

• a period of strategic waiting', 'tu': 'but, indeed', 'viparītam': 'the opposite, contrary course

• counter-measure', 'vidhīyate': 'is prescribed, should be done', 'āmarda-kāla': 'time of crushing/being crushed

• a moment of humiliation or overpowering', 'rājendra': 'O lord of kings, O best of kings', 'vyapasarpet': 'should withdraw, should retreat, should move away', 'tataḥ param': 'after that, thereafter'}

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• rājendra (addressed king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Strategic conduct must fit the situation: during watchful engagement one should employ counter-measures that prevent the enemy from remaining secure, but if honour and position are about to be decisively crushed, prudent withdrawal and seeking protection with an ally is sanctioned.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra is giving counsel in the Ashramavāsika context, framing a principle of royal policy: oppose the enemy’s comfort through appropriate tactics, yet avoid ruinous humiliation by retreating and taking shelter with a friendly ruler when necessary.