Shloka 6

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ५४: दुर्योधनस्य धृतराष्ट्रं प्रति बलप्रशंसन-युक्तः आश्वासनवादः

Duryodhana’s Reassurance and Force-Praise to Dhritarashtra

Devanagari script

प्रत्यादानं च राज्यस्य कार्यमूचुर्नराधिपा: । भवतः: सानुबन्धस्य समुच्छेदं चिकीर्षव:,भारत! वे नरेश श्रीकृष्णकी प्रधानतामें संगठित हो वनमें विराजमान मृगचर्मधारी युधिष्ठिरके समीप जाकर बैठे और सगे-सम्बन्धियोंसहित आपका मूलोच्छेद कर डालनेकी इच्छा रखकर कहने लगे--'धृतराष्ट्रके हाथसे राज्यको लौटा लेना ही कर्तव्य है”

Transliteration

pratyādānaṃ ca rājyasya kāryam ūcur narādhipāḥ | bhavataḥ sānubandhasya samucchedaṃ cikīrṣavaḥ, bhārata |

Translation

Duryodhana berkata: “Raja-raja itu menyatakan bahawa mengambil kembali kerajaan itulah jalan yang wajar. Wahai Bhārata, dengan hasrat untuk membinasakan engkau bersama sekutu dan para penyokongmu, mereka berkata demikian.”

Word by Word

• {'pratyādānam': 'taking back

• reclaiming', 'rājyasya': 'of the kingdom

• sovereignty', 'kāryam': 'what ought to be done

• proper action', 'ūcuḥ': 'they said

• they spoke', 'narādhipāḥ': 'kings

• rulers of men', 'bhavataḥ': 'of you

• your', 'sānubandhasya': 'together with followers/relations

• with all connections and supporters', 'samucchedam': 'complete cutting off

• extermination', 'cikīrṣavaḥ': 'wishing to do

• desiring', 'bhārata': 'O descendant of Bharata (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)'}

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address 'Bhārata')
• narādhipāḥ (the kings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how political counsel can be framed as 'duty' (kārya) while being driven by destructive intent (samuccheda). It contrasts the language of rightful governance with the unethical aim of exterminating opponents and their supporters.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana reports that certain kings urged a course of action: the kingdom should be reclaimed, and the opposing side should be eliminated along with its allies. The address 'Bhārata' indicates he is speaking to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.