Shloka 20

Droṇa–Drupada Saṃvāda and Droṇa’s Reception at the Kuru Court (द्रोण-द्रुपद-संवादः; कुरुनगरप्रवेशः)

Devanagari script

तस्माद्‌ धर्म पुरस्कृत्य नियता त्वं शुचिस्मिते । उपचाराभिचाराभ्यां धर्ममावाहयस्व वै

Transliteration

tasmād dharma-puraskṛtya niyatā tvaṃ śuci-smite | upacārābhicārābhyāṃ dharmam āvāhayasva vai ||

Translation

“ଏହେତୁ, ହେ ଶୁଚିସ୍ମିତେ! ସଂଯମରେ ଧର୍ମକୁ ଅଗ୍ରେ ରଖି, ଯଥୋଚିତ ପୂଜା ଓ ବିଧିବଦ୍ଧ କ୍ରିୟାପ୍ରକ୍ରିୟା ଦ୍ୱାରା ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଧର୍ମଙ୍କୁ ଆହ୍ୱାନ କର।”

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• धर्मम्: Dharma (the deity/virtue)
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुरस्कृत्य: having placed in front/honoured
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुरस्-कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• नियता: restrained/controlled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• शुचि-स्मिते: O one with a pure smile
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचिस्मित
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• उपचार-अभिचाराभ्याम्: by worship and ritual procedure
• उपचार-अभिचाराभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचार + अभिचार
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Dual

• धर्मम्: Dharma (the deity)
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आवाहयस्व: invoke/call (hither)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√वह्
• Form: Loṭ (imperative), Ātmanepada, Second, Singular

• वै: indeed/verily
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dharma (as deity/principle)
• Kuru lineage (Kuravaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma must be the foremost criterion in action: self-restraint and correct, sanctioned means (worship and prescribed rite) ensure that one’s aims—here, obtaining a son—remain aligned with righteousness and do not slip into adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Adi Parva context of seeking righteous progeny, the speaker urges the addressed woman (implied by the epithet ‘śuci-smite’) to invoke the deity Dharma through proper ritual procedure, emphasizing that a son obtained through Dharma will be exceptionally virtuous among the Kurus.