Shloka 4

Sūrya-stava: Dhaumya’s Counsel and the Aṣṭaśata-nāma of Sūrya

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच मुहूर्तमिव स ध्यात्वा धर्मेणान्विष्य तां गतिम्‌ । युधिष्ठिरमुवाचेदं धौम्यो धर्मभूतां वर:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ धौम्य मुनिने युधिष्ठिरका प्रश्न सुनकर दो घड़ीतक ध्यान-सा लगाया और धर्मपूर्वक उस उपायका अन्वेषण करनेके पश्चात्‌ उनसे इस प्रकार कहा

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca

muhūrtam iva sa dhyātvā dharmeṇānviṣya tāṁ gatim |

yudhiṣṭhiram uvācedaṁ dhaumyo dharmabhūtāṁ varaḥ ||

Translation

ਵੈਸ਼ੰਪਾਯਨ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਧਰਮਵਾਨਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ ਧੌਮ੍ਯ ਨੇ ਇਕ ਪਲ ਧਿਆਨ ਕੀਤਾ; ਧਰਮ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਉਪਾਅ ਖੋਜ ਕੇ ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ ਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ।

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'muhūrtam': 'a short while

• a moment (also a traditional time-unit)', 'iva': 'as if

• like', 'saḥ': 'he', 'dhyātvā': 'having meditated/reflected', 'dharmeṇa': 'by/according to dharma

• in a righteous manner', 'anviṣya': 'having searched for

• having investigated', 'tām': 'that', 'gatim': 'course, path, means, proper way forward', 'yudhiṣṭhiram': 'Yudhiṣṭhira (accusative)', 'uvāca': 'said

• spoke', 'idam': 'this (i.e., the following speech)', 'dhaumyaḥ': 'Dhaumya (the sage/priest)', 'dharmabhūtām': 'those who are righteous/established in dharma (genitive plural sense implied)', 'varaḥ': 'best

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhaumya
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Before giving or taking counsel, one should pause, reflect, and seek the right course in accordance with dharma; ethical action is grounded in thoughtful inquiry rather than haste.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing Yudhiṣṭhira’s question, the sage Dhaumya briefly reflects and then, having determined a dharma-consistent course, begins to address Yudhiṣṭhira.