Shloka 3

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Dialogue on Peace and the Refusal of Compromise

Devanagari script

अलमर्ध पृथिव्यास्ते सहामात्यस्य जीवितुम्‌ | प्रयच्छ पाण्डुपुत्राणां यथोचितमरिंदम

Transliteration

alam ardha-pṛthivyās te sahāmātyasya jīvitum | prayaccha pāṇḍu-putrāṇāṁ yathocitam ariṁ-dama ||

Translation

ਧ੍ਰਿਤਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ ਬੋਲੇ— ਹੇ ਸ਼ਤ੍ਰੁਦਮਨ, ਮੰਤਰੀਆਂ ਸਮੇਤ ਤੇਰੇ ਗੁਜ਼ਾਰੇ ਲਈ ਧਰਤੀ ਦਾ ਅੱਧਾ ਹਿੱਸਾ ਹੀ ਕਾਫ਼ੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਲਈ ਪਾਂਡੂ-ਪੁੱਤਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਯੋਗ ਰਾਜ-ਭਾਗ ਦੇ ਦੇ।

Word by Word

• अलम्: enough; sufficient
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम्

• अर्धम्: half
• अर्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• पृथिव्याः: of the earth/kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• ते: for you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• अमात्यस्य: of the minister/counsellor
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमात्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• जीवितुम्: to live; to maintain life
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव्
• Form: Tumun (infinitive), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada (non-finite)

• प्रयच्छ: give; grant
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम्
• Form: Imperative (Lot), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डुपुत्राणाम्: of the sons of Pandu (the Pandavas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• यथा: as; according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• उचितम्: proper; fitting
• उचितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उचित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अरिंदम: O foe-subduer
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरिंदम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Pāṇḍavas
• Pāṇḍu
• Amātyas (ministers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should uphold fairness and dharma by granting others their due share; greed for total sovereignty is ethically indefensible when a just division can preserve peace and legitimacy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra urges the Kuru side (addressing the ‘subduer of foes’) to accept a reasonable settlement: keep half the realm as sufficient for themselves and their ministers, and give the Pāṇḍavas the portion that properly belongs to them, aiming to avert conflict.