Shloka 53

Devanagari script

प्रणयाद्‌ बहुमानाच्च त॑ निगृह[ सुतस्तव । अब्रवीन्मधुरं वाक्‍्यं साम्ना सर्वार्थसाधकम्‌,तब आपके पुत्रने बड़े प्रेम और आदरसे उन्हें रोका तथा सान्त्वनापूर्ण मधुर स्वरमें उनसे यह सर्वार्थलाधक वचन कहा--

Transliteration

praṇayād bahumānāc ca taṁ nigṛhya sutas tava | abravīn madhuraṁ vākyaṁ sāmnā sarvārthasādhakam ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Out of affection and respectful regard, your son restrained him and, in a soothing and gentle tone, spoke words of conciliation—speech calculated to accomplish every purpose. The moment underscores how, even amid the harshness of war, persuasion and courteous restraint can be used to avert rash action and secure one’s aims without needless escalation.

Word by Word

प्रणयात्from affection; out of love

बहुमानात्from respect; out of esteem

चand

तान्them

निगृह्यhaving restrained/checked

सुतःson

तवyour

अब्रवीत्said; spoke

मधुरम्sweet; gentle

वाक्यम्speech; statement

साम्नाwith conciliation; by gentle persuasion

सर्वार्थसाधकम्accomplishing all purposes

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'your')

your son (sutaḥ tava; Duryodhana in context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the strategic and ethical power of restrained, respectful speech: affection (praṇaya) and esteem (bahumāna) can motivate one to prevent harmful impulsiveness, while sāman—conciliation—can achieve objectives without immediate coercion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son checks someone’s action and then addresses him with gentle, pacifying words designed to be effective and goal-fulfilling—setting up a conciliatory counsel or persuasion within the war narrative.