Shloka 4

धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas

Devanagari script

व्यसन भेदनं चैव शत्रूणां कारयेत्‌ ततः । कर्षणं भीषणं चैव युद्धे चैव बलक्षयम्‌

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | vyasana-bhedanaṃ caiva śatrūṇāṃ kārayet tataḥ | karṣaṇaṃ bhīṣaṇaṃ caiva yuddhe caiva bala-kṣayam ||

Translation

ਫਿਰ ਵੈਰੀਆਂ ਉੱਤੇ ਆਫ਼ਤ ਲਿਆਉਣੀ ਅਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਫੁੱਟ ਪਾਉਣ ਦਾ ਜਤਨ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ; ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਲਗਾਤਾਰ ਤੰਗ ਕਰਕੇ ਡਰਾਉਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਜੰਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਤਾਕਤ ਘਟਾ ਕੇ ਨਾਸ ਕਰ ਦੇਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• व्यसन: calamity, distress
• व्यसन: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यसन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भेदनम्: splitting, causing division
• भेदनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेदन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• शत्रूणाम्: of the enemies
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• कारयेत्: should cause (to be done), should bring about
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (णिच्)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, true

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

• कर्षणम्: harassing, dragging down, attrition
• कर्षणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्षण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भीषणम्: terrible, frightening
• भीषणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• बलक्षयम्: destruction/attrition of (their) forces
• बलक्षयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलक्षय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• śatravaḥ (enemies)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse articulates a hard-edged political-military maxim: weaken opponents by engineering misfortune and internal division, then exhaust and frighten them so their power collapses in battle. Ethically, it reflects a strategic, often adharma-leaning approach where victory is pursued through destabilization rather than restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra is speaking in the Ashramavāsika context, voicing counsel framed in terms of dealing with enemies: first create crisis and factionalism among them, then apply pressure and terror, culminating in the attrition of their forces in war.