Shloka 456

अध्याय ९ — धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति राजनित्युपदेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Royal Policy to Yudhiṣṭhira

Devanagari script

वीर्यवन्तो महात्मान: पौराणां च हिते रता: । “कुरुनन्दन! ये पाँचों भाई पाण्डव बड़े पराक्रमी

Transliteration

vīryavanto mahātmānaḥ paurāṇāṃ ca hite ratāḥ |

Translation

କୁରୁନନ୍ଦନ! ଏହି ପାଞ୍ଚଜଣ ପାଣ୍ଡବ ଭାଇ ପରାକ୍ରମୀ, ମହାତ୍ମା ଏବଂ ପୌରଜନଙ୍କ ହିତରେ ନିରତ। ସଜ୍ଜନ ଓ କୋମଳସ୍ୱଭାବୀମାନଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ସେମାନେ ମୃଦୁ ବ୍ୟବହାର କରନ୍ତି; କିନ୍ତୁ କଠୋର ଓ ଦୁଷ୍ଟମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ବିଷଧର ସର୍ପମାନଙ୍କ ପରି ଭୟଙ୍କର ହୋଇଯାଆନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'vīryavant', 'definition': 'possessed of valor, heroic, powerful'}, {'term': 'mahātman', 'definition': 'great-souled, noble-minded'}, {'term': 'paurāḥ / paurāṇām', 'definition': 'citizens, townspeople

• (gen.) ‘of the citizens’'}, {'term': 'hita', 'definition': 'welfare, benefit, well-being'}, {'term': 'rata', 'definition': 'engaged in, devoted to, delighting in'}, {'term': 'kurunandana', 'definition': '‘delight of the Kurus’

• an honorific address to a Kuru prince'}, {'term': 'pāṇḍavāḥ', 'definition': 'the five sons of Pāṇḍu (Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva)'}, {'term': 'satpuruṣa', 'definition': 'good person, virtuous man'}, {'term': 'mṛdutā', 'definition': 'gentleness, mildness, tenderness'}, {'term': 'duṣṭa', 'definition': 'wicked, corrupt, malicious'}, {'term': 'viṣadhara sarpa', 'definition': 'venom-bearing serpent

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍavas (the five brothers)
• Kuru-nandana (addressed Kuru prince)
• Citizens (paurāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharmic leadership combines compassion with firmness: the righteous protect and nurture the good, yet become fearsome in restraining and punishing the wicked for the sake of public welfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the character of the five Pāṇḍavas to a Kuru prince, emphasizing their heroic strength and their commitment to the citizens’ welfare, along with their contrasting gentleness toward the virtuous and severity toward wrongdoers.