Shloka 13

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर महाप्राज्ञ सर्वशास्त्रविशारद । शृणुष्व वचन तात धर्म्य स्वरग्य च जल्पत:,“सम्पूर्ण शास्त्रोंके निपुण विद्वान, महाज्ञानी तात युधिष्ठिर! मैं तुम्हें धर्मके अनुकूल तथा स्वर्गकी प्राप्ति करानेवाली एक बात बता रहा हूँ, तुम मेरे उस वचनको सुनो

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira mahāprājña sarvaśāstraviśārada | śṛṇuṣva vacana tāta dharmyaṃ svargyaṃ ca jalpataḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O Yudhiṣṭhira, great in wisdom and well-versed in all the śāstras, dear child—listen to my words. I shall tell you a counsel that accords with dharma and leads to heaven; hear it as I speak.”

Word by Word

• {'yudhiṣṭhira': 'Yudhiṣṭhira (eldest Pāṇḍava

• exemplar of dharma)', 'mahāprājña': 'greatly wise, of profound understanding', 'sarva-śāstra-viśārada': 'skilled/learned in all treatises (law, ethics, sacred learning)', 'śṛṇuṣva': 'listen (imperative, 2nd person singular)', 'vacana': 'speech, statement, counsel', 'tāta': 'dear child

• affectionate address', 'dharmyam': 'in accordance with dharma

• righteous', 'svargyam': 'leading to heaven

• conducive to heavenly merit', 'ca': 'and', 'jalpataḥ': 'of one speaking

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the forthcoming instruction as both dharmya (aligned with righteous duty) and svargya (productive of heavenly merit), emphasizing that ethical counsel should be grounded in śāstra and aimed at moral and spiritual uplift.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully, praising his learning and wisdom, and asks him to listen attentively as he introduces a piece of righteous counsel that promises beneficial consequences.