Shloka 21

Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट्रात्मजा: सर्वे यातुधाना बलोत्कटा:

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭrātmajāḥ sarve yātudhānā balotkaṭāḥ

Translation

ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಧೃತರಾಷ್ಟ್ರನ ಪುತ್ರರೆಲ್ಲ ಯಾತುಧಾನರಂತೆ, ಬಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಉಗ್ರರು. ಈ ಸಾಲು ಸೂಚಿಸುವುದು: ಧರ್ಮದಿಂದ ವಿಚ್ಛಿನ್ನವಾದ ಶಕ್ತಿ ನಿಜವಾದ ಮಹತ್ತ್ವವಲ್ಲ; ಅದು ದೈತ್ಯಸಮಾನ ಕ್ರೌರ್ಯವೇ.

Word by Word

• धृतराष्ट्रात्मजाः: sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रात्मजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र-आत्मज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यातुधानाः: demons, rākṣasas
• यातुधानाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातुधान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बलोत्कटाः: mighty in strength, very powerful
• बलोत्कटाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल-उत्कट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (Kauravas)
• Yātudhānas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames sheer strength without righteousness as demonic ferocity. It implies that ethical quality (dharma) is the true measure of nobility; power used for cruelty is condemned through the metaphor of yātudhānas.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana characterizes Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons collectively as extremely powerful yet morally fearsome, using a demon-like epithet to emphasize their violent disposition and the ethical judgment of their conduct.