Shloka 101

अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope

Devanagari script

दुर्वत्त धार्तराष्ट्राणामुक्तवान्‌ भगवानृषि: । इदं शतसहसंरं तु लोकानां पुण्यकर्मणाम्‌

Transliteration

durvṛtta-dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām uktavān bhagavān ṛṣiḥ | idaṁ śata-sahasraṁ tu lokānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām |

Translation

O venerável sábio declarou que os Dhārtarāṣṭras eram de conduta perversa. E proclamou ainda: “Este (Mahābhārata) é uma obra de cem mil versos, destinada aos povos do mundo que buscam mérito por meio da ação conforme o dharma”, estabelecendo assim a epopeia como juízo moral contra o adharma e como guia rumo ao puṇya (mérito ético).

Word by Word

• दुर्वृत्ताः: ill-conducted, wicked
• दुर्वृत्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्: of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• उक्तवान्: said, spoke
• उक्तवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भगवान्: the venerable one, the blessed
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ऋषिः: sage
• ऋषिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शतसहस्रम्: a hundred thousand (verses/units)
• शतसहस्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतसहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पुण्यकर्मणाम्: of those having meritorious deeds
• पुण्यकर्मणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्यकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

Characters & Entities

• Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)
• Bhagavān Ṛṣi (the revered sage/narrator)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts wicked conduct (durvṛtta) with the epic’s purpose: to guide people toward puṇya through righteous action. It presents the Mahābhārata as a moral instrument—condemning adharma (as exemplified by the Dhārtarāṣṭras) and commending ethical living.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the opening framing of the epic, the narrator-sage characterizes the Dhārtarāṣṭras as morally wayward and identifies the work being introduced as a vast composition of a hundred thousand verses, intended for the moral and spiritual benefit of the world.