Shloka 21

धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts

Devanagari script

सदा च प्रातरुत्थाय कृतजप्य: शुचिर्न॑प:,विपरीतकश्न मे शत्रुर्नियम्यश्न भवेन्नर: । राजा युधिष्ठिर बड़े दयालु थे। वे सदा प्रसन्न रहकर अपने भाइयों और मन्त्रियोंसे कहा करते थे कि “ये राजा धृतराष्ट्र मेरे और आपलोगोंके माननीय हैं। जो इनकी आज्ञाके अधीन रहता है, वही मेरा सुहृद्‌ है। विपरीत आचरण करनेवाला मेरा शत्रु है। वह मेरे दण्डका भागी होगा

Transliteration

sadā ca prātar utthāya kṛtajapyaḥ śucir nṛpaḥ | viparīta-kṛc ca me śatrur niyamyaś ca bhaven naraḥ ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ— “ରାଜା ସଦା ପ୍ରଭାତେ ଉଠି, ଶୁଚି ରହି, ନିର୍ଦ୍ଧାରିତ ଜପ-ଆଦି କର୍ତ୍ତବ୍ୟ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ଯେ ଧର୍ମନୀତିର ବିପରୀତ ଚାଲେ ସେ ମୋର ଶତ୍ରୁ; ଯେ ନିୟମରେ ରହି ଆଜ୍ଞାଧୀନ ଥାଏ ସେ ମୋର ହିତେଷୀ।” ଏହି ପ୍ରସଙ୍ଗରେ ଦୟାଳୁ ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର ପୁନଃପୁନଃ ଭାଇମାନଙ୍କୁ ଓ ମନ୍ତ୍ରୀମାନଙ୍କୁ କହୁଥିଲେ— “ଧୃତରାଷ୍ଟ୍ର ଆମ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ପୂଜ୍ୟ; ତାଙ୍କ ଆଜ୍ଞାପାଳନ ନିଷ୍ଠା, ଏବଂ ବିରୋଧ ଅପରାଧ— ଦଣ୍ଡନୀୟ।”

Word by Word

सदाalways

चand

प्रातर्in the morning

उत्थायhaving risen

कृतजप्यःone who has performed the (required) japa

शुचिःpure/clean

नृपःking

विपरीतकश्चand one who acts contrariwise

मेmy/of me

शत्रुःenemy

नियम्यhaving restrained/controlled

अश्नन्eats

भवेत्should be/becomes

नरःa man

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

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 links righteous kingship with personal discipline (rising early, purity, japa) and with ethical governance: loyalty to rightful authority is treated as friendship, while willful contrariness to dharmic command is treated as enmity and becomes liable to royal punishment (daṇḍa).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Āśramavāsika context, Yudhiṣṭhira instructs his brothers and ministers to honor Dhṛtarāṣṭra as a venerable elder; those who comply with Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s directives are counted as Yudhiṣṭhira’s allies, and those who oppose are treated as offenders.