Mahabharata 7.40.3 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 40, Shloka 3

Adhyāya 40 (Book 7, Droṇa-parva): Abhimanyu’s Rapid Advance and Battlefield Disruption

Devanagari script

यत्‌ सभायां त्वया राज्ञो धृतराष्ट्रस्य शृण्वत: । कोपित: परुषैर्वाक्यैर्थर्मराजो युधिछ्िर:

Transliteration

yat sabhāyāṃ tvayā rājño dhṛtarāṣṭrasya śṛṇvataḥ | kopitaḥ paruṣair vākyair dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||

Translation

അതേ സംഭവമാണ്—രാജസഭയിൽ രാജാവ് ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രൻ കേൾക്കേ നീ കഠിനവചനങ്ങളാൽ ധർമ്മരാജൻ യുധിഷ്ഠിരനെ കോപിപ്പിച്ചതിന്റെ—ഇന്നത്തെ ഫലം.

Word by Word

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• सभायाम्: in the assembly
• सभायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• धृतराष्ट्रस्य: of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शृण्वतः: while (he was) listening / of (him) listening
• शृण्वतः: Sambandha
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• कोपितः: angered
• कोपितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कुप्
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परुषैः: by harsh
• परुषैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परुष
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• वाक्यैः: words/speeches
• वाक्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• धर्मराजः: Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• धर्मराजः: Karta
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: धर्मराज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)
• sabhā (royal assembly)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical weight of speech: harsh words spoken publicly—especially before a king and in an assembly—can provoke even the righteous and set in motion long-term consequences. It implies accountability for verbal aggression and the karmic/narrative fallout of humiliating or goading others.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reminds Dhṛtarāṣṭra of an earlier court incident: in the royal assembly, with Dhṛtarāṣṭra present and listening, someone (addressed as “you”) angered Yudhiṣṭhira through harsh speech. Sañjaya frames the present crisis in Droṇa Parva as connected to that prior provocation.