Shloka 21

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट्रो5पि राजेन्द्र संवृत: सर्वकौरवै: । हर्षेण महता युक्तो विदुरं प्रत्यभाषत,राजेन्द्र! समस्त कौरवोंसे घिरे हुए धृतराष्ट्रको भी बड़ा हर्ष हुआ। उन्होंने विदुरसे कहा --

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

dhṛtarāṣṭro 'pi rājendra saṃvṛtaḥ sarvakauravaiḥ |

harṣeṇa mahatā yukto viduraṃ pratyabhāṣata ||

Translation

वैशंपायन म्हणाले—राजेंद्र! सर्व कौरवांनी वेढलेल्या धृतराष्ट्रालाही मोठा हर्ष झाला. तो महान् आनंदाने भरून विदुराशी बोलू लागला.

Word by Word

धृतराष्ट्रःDhritarashtra

अपिalso/even

राजेन्द्रO king of kings

संवृतःsurrounded/encircled

सर्वकौरवैःby all the Kauravas

हर्षेणwith joy

महताgreat

युक्तःendowed/possessed (of)

विदुरम्Vidura

प्रत्यभाषतspoke to/addressed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Kauravas

Vidura

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 underscores how a king’s joy and the presence of his own party can influence his speech and choices; it implicitly prepares the contrast between factional enthusiasm and Vidura’s dharma-centered counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, surrounded by the Kauravas and feeling great happiness, turns and speaks to Vidura, signaling the start of a dialogue where Vidura’s advice will matter against the backdrop of courtly pressure.