Shloka 6

सेनापति-निर्णयः तथा पाण्डवसेनायाः कुरुक्षेत्रगमनम्

Decision on Command and the Pandavas’ March to Kurukshetra

Devanagari script

यदत्र युक्त प्राप्त च तद्‌ विधत्स्व विशाम्पते । उक्त भीष्मेण यद्‌ वाक्‍्यं द्रोणेन विदुरेण च

Transliteration

yad atra yuktaṁ prāptaṁ ca tad vidhatsva viśāmpate | uktaṁ bhīṣmeṇa yad vākyaṁ droṇena vidureṇa ca, prajānātha! ab tvāṁ api yo 'citaṁ jānīyāt tat kuru | bhārata! kauravasabhāyāṁ bhīṣma-droṇa-vidura-gāndhārī-dhṛtarāṣṭraiḥ mama samakṣaṁ yad uktam, tat sarvaṁ te śrāvitaṁ | rājan! eṣa eva tatra vṛttāntaḥ ||

Translation

Wahai pelindung rakyat, lakukanlah kini apa yang patut dan memang diperlukan dalam keadaan ini. Segala ucapan yang disampaikan—oleh Bhīṣma, Droṇa, dan Vidura (demikian pula oleh Gāndhārī dan Dhṛtarāṣṭra)—di sidang Kaurava di hadapanku, telah kusampaikan kepadamu sepenuhnya. Wahai Bhārata, inilah tepatnya yang terjadi di sana; kini putuskan dan bertindak menurut apa yang kau nilai benar.

Word by Word

• {'yad': 'whatever

• that which', 'atra': 'here

• in this matter/context', 'yuktam': 'proper, appropriate, fitting (in accordance with dharma and prudence)', 'prāptam': 'that which has come to pass

• what has become incumbent/necessary', 'tat': 'that', 'vidhatsva': 'do, arrange, carry out (imperative, 2nd person singular)', 'viśāmpate': 'lord of the people (honorific address to a king)', 'uktam': 'said, spoken', 'bhīṣmeṇa': 'by Bhīṣma (instrumental)', 'vākyaṁ': 'speech, statement, counsel', 'droṇena': 'by Droṇa (instrumental)', 'vidureṇa': 'by Vidura (instrumental)', 'prajānātha': 'protector/lord of subjects

• king', 'kauravasabhā': 'the assembly hall/court of the Kauravas', 'samakṣam': 'in the presence of

• before (someone)', 'śrāvitam': 'caused to be heard

• reported, narrated', 'rājan': 'O king', 'vṛttāntaḥ': 'account, occurrence, report of events'}

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Bhīṣma
• Droṇa
• Vidura
• Gāndhārī
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kaurava-sabhā (Kaurava assembly/court)
• Bhārata (address/title)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must act according to what is both dharmically fitting (yuktam) and practically incumbent (prāptam), after hearing reliable counsel and a truthful report; responsibility ultimately rests with the decision-maker.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu concludes his message by stating that he has faithfully relayed what leading elders and advisers (Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Vidura, along with Gāndhārī and Dhṛtarāṣṭra) said in the Kaurava court, and urges the addressed king to decide and act appropriately.