Shloka 10

याज्ञसेनी-प्रश्नः

Draupadī’s Question in the Assembly

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार उसके मारे जानेसे समस्त बन्धु-बान्धव सदाके लिये सुखी हो गये हैं। आप भी आज्ञा दें तो ये सव्यसाची अर्जुन इस दुर्योधनको बंदी बना ले सकते हैं ।।

Transliteration

nigrahād asya pāpasya modantāṁ kuravaḥ sukham | kākenemān citrabarhan śārdūlān kroṭakena ca | krīṇīṣva pāṇḍavān rājan mā majjīḥ śokasāgare ||

Translation

Vidura berkata: “Dengan mengekang orang berdosa ini, kaum Kuru akan bersukacita dalam damai. Wahai Raja, mengapa hendak menukar merak-merak berbulu indah ini dengan seekor gagak semata-mata? Mengapa hendak menukar wira-wira laksana harimau ini dengan seekor serigala/jakal? Tebuslah kembali para Pāṇḍava—jangan tenggelamkan diri dalam lautan dukacita.”

Word by Word

• निग्रहात्: from the restraint/capture
• निग्रहात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अस्य: of this (man)
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पापस्य: of the sinner/evil one
• पापस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• मोदन्ताम्: let (them) rejoice
• मोदन्ताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुद्
• Form: Imperative, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• कुरवः: the Kurus
• कुरवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• काकेन: with/by a crow
• काकेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• इमान्: these
• इमान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• चित्रबहून्: variegated/many-colored
• चित्रबहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्रबहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शार्दूलान्: tigers (metaph.: lions/strong ones)
• शार्दूलान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्दूल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• क्रोटकेन: with/by a jackal
• क्रोटकेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोटक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• क्रीणीष्व: buy (you)! / purchase
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्री
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डवान्: the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा

• मज्जीः: sink (you)!
• Type: Verb
• Root: मज्ज्
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शोकसागरे: in the ocean of grief
• शोकसागरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोकसागर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Duryodhana
• Arjuna (Savyasācin)
• Pāṇḍavas
• Kurus

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura urges the king to choose dharma and long-term welfare over attachment: restrain the wrongdoer, value the truly noble (the Pāṇḍavas), and avoid self-destruction through grief and partiality.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura counsels the Kuru king that if Duryodhana is restrained or taken into custody (even by Arjuna), the Kuru house can regain peace. He uses sharp animal metaphors—crow/jackal for Duryodhana and peacock/tiger for the Pāṇḍavas—to press the king to reconcile with and ‘buy back’ the Pāṇḍavas rather than sink into sorrow.