Shloka 20

धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa

Devanagari script

जातरूपपरिष्कारमास्थाय रथमुत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

jātarūpapariṣkāram āsthāya ratham uttamam

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Having mounted an excellent chariot, richly adorned with worked gold,”—a detail that underscores the royal splendor and martial preparedness with which the warriors enter the unfolding conflict, where outward magnificence contrasts with the grave ethical cost of war.

Word by Word

• जातरूपपरिष्कारम्: gold-ornamentation / decoration of gold
• जातरूपपरिष्कारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातरूपपरिष्कार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having mounted / having taken (to)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस्था (आ + स्था)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), non-finite

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• ratha (chariot)
• jātarūpa (gold)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line highlights how external grandeur—golden ornamentation and an ‘excellent’ chariot—often accompanies the pursuit of power in war, yet such splendor does not resolve the deeper dharmic burden and moral consequences that the conflict entails.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s narration describes a warrior (contextually, someone entering battle) mounting a superior chariot decorated with gold, signaling readiness for combat and the royal, high-stakes nature of the events in the Drona Parva.