Shloka 2

Drupada’s Instruction to the Purohita for the Kaurava Embassy (द्रुपदोपदेशः दूतप्रेषणम्)

Devanagari script

द्विजेषु वैद्या: श्रेयांसो वैद्येषु कृतबुद्धयः । कृतबुद्धिषु कर्तार: कर्तषु ब्रह्मवादिन: २ ।। ब्राह्मणोंमें विद्वान, विद्वानोंमें सिद्धान्तके जानकार, सिद्धान्तके ज्ञाताओंमें भी तदनुसार आचरण करनेवाले पुरुष तथा उनमें भी ब्रह्मवेत्ता श्रेष्ठ हैं

Transliteration

dvijeṣu vaidyāḥ śreyāṃso vaidyeṣu kṛtabuddhayaḥ | kṛtabuddhiṣu kartāraḥ kartṛṣu brahmavādinaḥ || 2 ||

Translation

Drupada declara uma hierarquia de excelência: “Entre os duas-vezes-nascidos, os verdadeiramente eruditos são superiores; entre os eruditos, superiores são os que têm o entendimento firmemente assentado na doutrina correta; entre os de entendimento assentado, superiores são os que agem de acordo com ela; e entre tais agentes, os conhecedores e expositores de Brahman são os mais elevados.”

Word by Word

द्विजेषुamong the twice-born (Brahmins)

वैद्याःthe learned/knowers (of the Veda)

श्रेयांसःbetter, superior

वैद्येषुamong the learned

कृतबुद्धयःthose of formed/settled understanding (decided in doctrine)

कृतबुद्धिषुamong those of settled understanding

कर्तारःdoers, practitioners

कर्तृषुamong the doers/practitioners

ब्रह्मवादिनःexpounders of Brahman (Brahma-knowers/teachers of Brahman)

Speaker

दुपद उवाच

Characters & Entities

द

द्विज (twice-born)

व

वैद्य/विद्वान (the learned)

क

कृतबुद्धि (persons of settled understanding)

क

कर्ता (doers)

ब

ब्रह्मवादी (expounders/knowers of Brahman)

द

द्रुपद (Drupada)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Excellence is graded from birth-status to learning, from learning to settled discernment, from discernment to consistent action, and finally to realization/teaching of Brahman—implying that lived dharma and spiritual insight surpass mere scholarship or social identity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Drupada speaks in a reflective, evaluative tone, emphasizing what kinds of people are truly ‘श्रेष्ठ’ (superior), thereby framing counsel and decision-making around dharma, competence, and spiritual maturity rather than rank alone.