Shloka 10

कृपवाक्यं तथा नीत्युपदेशः

Kṛpa’s Counsel and a Discourse on Statecraft

Devanagari script

यत्‌ तु शक्‍्यमिहास्माभिस्तान्‌ वै संचिन्त्य पाण्डवान्‌ । बुद्धया प्रयुक्त न द्रोहात्‌ प्रवक्ष्यामि निबोध तत्‌,'पाण्डवोंके सम्बन्धमें अपनी बुद्धिसे भलीभाँति सोच-विचारकर मुझे जो युक्तिसंगत जान पड़ा है, वही उपाय हम यहाँ कर सकते हैं। मैं उसे द्रोणके कारण नहीं, तुम्हारे भलेके लिये बताता हूँ; ध्यान देकर सुनो

Transliteration

yat tu śakyam ihāsmābhis tān vai sañcintya pāṇḍavān | buddhyā prayukta na drohāt pravakṣyāmi nibodha tat ||

Translation

പാണ്ഡവരെക്കുറിച്ച് നന്നായി ആലോചിച്ച് ബുദ്ധി പ്രയോഗിച്ച് ഇവിടെ നമുക്ക് സാധ്യമെന്നു തോന്നുന്ന ഉപായം ഞാൻ പറയുന്നു. ഇത് ദ്രോഹബുദ്ധിയാൽ അല്ല; നിങ്ങളുടെ ഹിതത്തിനായാണ്—ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ കേൾക്കുക.

Word by Word

• {'yat tu': 'but that which

• however', 'śakyam': 'possible, feasible', 'iha': 'here, in this situation', 'asmābhiḥ': 'by us', 'tān': 'them (those persons)', 'vai': 'indeed, certainly (emphatic particle)', 'sañcintya': 'having considered well, having reflected upon', 'pāṇḍavān': 'the Pāṇḍavas (sons of Pāṇḍu)', 'buddhyā': 'with intellect, by reason', 'prayukta': 'applied, employed (properly used)', 'na drohāt': 'not from malice/treachery

• not out of hostile intent', 'pravakṣyāmi': 'I shall declare, I will explain', 'nibodha': 'understand

• listen and grasp', 'tat': 'that (plan/point just mentioned)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes ethical counsel: decisions should be grounded in careful reflection and right reasoning, and advice should be offered for the listener’s welfare rather than from malice or personal hostility.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana introduces a forthcoming piece of strategic advice concerning the Pāṇḍavas, stating that he will present what is feasible and rational, and clarifying that his intent is benevolent rather than antagonistic.