Shloka 9

धृतराष्ट्रस्य संजयप्रश्नः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry to Saṃjaya on Strategic Comparisons

Devanagari script

यथान्यायं कौशलं वन्दनं च समागता मद्वचनेन वाच्या: । इदं ब्रूया: संजय राजमध्ये सुयोधनं पापकृतां प्रधानम्‌

Transliteration

yathānyāyaṁ kauśalaṁ vandanaṁ ca samāgatā madvacanena vācyāḥ | idaṁ brūyāḥ sañjaya rājamadhye suyodhanaṁ pāpakṛtāṁ pradhānam ||

Translation

Sesuai tata krama, sampaikanlah salam, penghormatan, dan pertanyaan tentang kesejahteraan kepada semua yang telah berkumpul, sebagaimana pesanku. Lalu, di tengah para raja, katakan ini kepada Suyodhana—yang terdepan di antara para pelaku kejahatan.

Word by Word

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अन्यायम्: injustice
• अन्यायम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्याय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कौशलम्: welfare, well-being
• कौशलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वन्दनम्: salutation
• वन्दनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्दन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• समागताः: assembled, gathered
• समागताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past active (kta/ktavatu sense)

• मत्-वचनेन: by my words/command
• मत्-वचनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्-वचन
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वाच्याः: are to be addressed/spoken to
• वाच्याः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Gerundive (tavya/ya)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रूयाः: you should say
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संजय: O Sanjaya
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राज-मध्ये: in the midst of kings / in the royal assembly
• राज-मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज-मध्य
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सुयोधनम्: Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• सुयोधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुयोधन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पाप-कृताम्: of evil-doers
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-कृत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रधानम्: chief, foremost
• प्रधानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• kings/royal assembly (rāja-sabhā implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid impending conflict, one should follow yathānyāya—proper, dharmic protocol—offering respectful greetings and welfare-inquiries; yet moral judgment is not suspended, as Duryodhana is explicitly characterized as foremost among wrongdoers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports instructions to deliver a formal message: first convey courteous salutations and inquiries to the assembled kings, then publicly address Duryodhana in the royal gathering with the intended statement, marking him out as the chief of evildoers.