Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

एवं त्वया कुरुश्रेष्ठ वर्तितव्यं प्रजाहितम्‌ । उभयोर्लोकयोस्तात प्राप्तये नित्यमेव हि

Transliteration

evaṁ tvayā kuruśreṣṭha vartitavyaṁ prajāhitam | ubhayor lokayos tāta prāptaye nityam eva hi ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra disse: “Ó melhor dos Kurus, deves conduzir-te de modo a servir ao bem-estar do povo. Pois, meu querido filho, é pela dedicação constante ao bem dos súditos que se alcança prosperidade em ambos os mundos — aqui e no além.”

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• कुरुश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Kurus
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• वर्तितव्यम्: should be conducted / must be done
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: तव्यत् (gerundive), neuter, nominative, singular, passive-necessitative

• प्रजाहितम्: beneficial to the subjects
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रजा-हित
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• उभयोः: of both
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, dual

• लोकयोः: of the two worlds
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: masculine, genitive, dual

• तात: O dear one / O son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• प्राप्तये: for the attainment
• प्राप्तये: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राप्ति
• Form: feminine, dative, singular

• नित्यम्: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

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

• हि: for, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• तात: O dear one
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kuruśreṣṭha (addressed person, ‘best of the Kurus’)
• prajā (the subjects/people)
• ubhau lokau (this world and the next)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler or leader should remain steadily engaged in actions that benefit the people; such public-spirited conduct is presented as the means to secure good in both this life and the next.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a Kuru leader with counsel, urging sustained commitment to the welfare of the subjects as the proper standard of conduct and as a path to auspicious results in both worlds.