Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सुखं प्रतिप्रबुद्धानामिन्द्रियाण्युपलक्षये । स भवान्‌ सुहृदो5स्माकमथवा न: पिता भवान्‌,अब जीवित होनेपर भी इनकी इन्द्रियाँ सुखकी नींद सोकर उठे हुए पुरुषोंके समान स्वस्थ दिखायी देती हैं, अत: आप हमारे कोई सुहृद्‌ हैं अथवा पिता?

Transliteration

sukhaṃ pratiprabuddhānām indriyāṇy upalakṣaye | sa bhavān suhṛdo 'smākam athavā naḥ pitā bhavān ||

Translation

ഇവരുടെ ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങൾ സുഖനിദ്രയിൽ നിന്ന് ഉണർന്നവരുടെപോലെ ആരോഗ്യകരവും സ്ഥിരവുമാണെന്ന് ഞാൻ കാണുന്നു; അതിനാൽ നിങ്ങൾ ഞങ്ങളുടെ സുഹൃദ്—അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് പിതൃതുല്യൻ.

Word by Word

सुखम्happiness, comfort

प्रतिप्रबुद्धानाम्of those fully awakened

इन्द्रियाणिsenses

उपलक्षयेI observe, I notice

सःhe, that (person)

भवान्you (honorific)

सुहृदःa friend, well-wisher

अस्माकम्of us, our

अथवाor else

नःof us, our

पिताfather

भवान्you (honorific)

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical discernment and gratitude: when one sees another’s benevolent impact—restoring calm, health, or clarity—one should recognize that person as a true well-wisher, even as worthy of parental regard. It frames beneficence as a mark of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses an honored person whose actions have evidently brought relief and steadiness to others; he notes their senses look refreshed as after good sleep, and infers that the addressee must be a close friend or father-like protector to them.