Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऑपन--माज बछ। *: तर्याधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: द्रोणाचार्यकी पाण्डवोंको उपहार भेजने और बुलानेकी सम्मति तथा कर्णके द्वारा उनकी सम्मतिका विरोध करनेपर द्रोणाचार्यकी फटकार द्रोण उदाच मन्त्राय समुपानीतैर्धतराष्ट्र हितैर्नप । धर्म्यमर्थ्य यशस्यं च वाच्यमित्यनुशुश्रुम,द्रोणाचार्यने कहा--राजा धृतराष्ट्र! सलाह लेनेके लिये बुलाये हुए हितैषियोंको उचित है कि वे ऐसी बात कहें, जो धर्म, अर्थ और यशकी प्राप्ति करानेवाली हो--यह हम परम्परासे सुनते आये हैं

Transliteration

droṇa uvāca | mantrāya samupānītair dhṛtarāṣṭra hitair nṛpa | dharmyam arthyam yaśasyaṃ ca vācyam ity anuśuśruma ||

Translation

Droṇa said: “O King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, when well-wishers are summoned for counsel, it is proper that they speak words that lead to dharma, to sound advantage, and to lasting good repute—so we have heard from tradition.”

Word by Word

द्रोणःDrona

उवाचsaid

मन्त्रायfor counsel / for consultation

समुपानीतैःbrought together / summoned

धृतराष्ट्रO Dhritarashtra

हितैःby well-wishers

नृपO king

धर्म्यम्righteous / in accordance with dharma

अर्थ्यम्conducive to welfare/profit (artha)

यशस्यम्bringing fame

चand

वाच्यम्to be spoken / should be said

इतिthus

अनुशुश्रुमwe have heard (by tradition)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Droṇa

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Counsel given to a king should be guided by three aims: dharma (righteousness), artha (practical benefit), and yaśas (honour/reputation). True well-wishers speak what advances these, not what merely pleases.

What is happening in the narrative?

Droṇa begins his counsel in Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s court, framing what responsible advisers ought to say when summoned—setting an ethical standard before discussing the political matter at hand.