Shloka 38

धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement

Devanagari script

कर्म दृष्टवाथ भृत्यांस्त्वं वरयेथा: कुरूद्गबह

Transliteration

karma dṛṣṭvātha bhṛtyāṁs tvaṁ varayethāḥ kurūdgvaha

Translation

ਵੈਸ਼ੰਪਾਯਨ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਆਚਰਨ ਅਤੇ ਕਰਮ ਨੂੰ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ, ਹੇ ਕੁਰੂ ਵੰਸ਼ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਮੁੱਖ ਧਾਰਕ, ਫਿਰ ਤੂੰ ਆਪਣੇ ਸੇਵਕ ਚੁਣੀਂ।

Word by Word

• कर्म: deed, action
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• अथ: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• भृत्यान्: servants, attendants
• भृत्यान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• वरयेथाः: should choose, should select
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Second, Singular, Atmanepada

• कुरूद्गबह: O Kurūdgbaha (vocative; proper name/epithet)
• कुरूद्गबह: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरूद्गबह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kuru (dynasty)
• bhṛtya (attendants/servants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should appoint or accept close aides only after observing their actual conduct; ethical discernment based on deeds (karma) is presented as the proper standard for choosing those who serve near a leader.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues the narration by advising a Kuru elder/prince that, after assessing people’s behavior, he should select suitable attendants—implying careful judgment in matters of service and proximity to authority.