Shloka 18

Kṛṣṇa at Duryodhana’s House: Refusal of Hospitality and Departure to Vidura (कृष्णस्य धार्तराष्ट्रनिवेशनगमनम्)

Devanagari script

कामद्वेषौ वशे कृत्वा सतां वत्मनिवर्तते | अम्बरीषस्य मान्धातुर्ययातेर्नहुषस्य च

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | kāmadveṣau vaśe kṛtvā satāṁ vatmanivartate | ambarīṣasya māndhātur yayāter nahuṣasya ca |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana disse: “Tendo submetido desejo e ódio, ele segue o caminho trilhado pelos virtuosos—como Ambarīṣa, Māndhātṛ, Yayāti e Nahuṣa.”

Word by Word

• काम: desire
• काम: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्वेषौ: hatred (twofold with desire as a pair)
• द्वेषौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वेष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• वशे: in control, under mastery
• वशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having made (having brought)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वत्मनि: on the path
• वत्मनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वर्तते: he/she/it proceeds; follows; abides
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Present (Lat), Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• अम्बरीषस्य: of Ambarīṣa
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बरीष
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• मान्धातुः: of Māndhātṛ
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान्धातृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• ययातेः: of Yayāti
• Type: Noun
• Root: ययाति
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• नहुषस्य: of Nahuṣa
• Type: Noun
• Root: नहुष
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Ambarīṣa
• Māndhātṛ
• Yayāti
• Nahuṣa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ethical life and righteous leadership begin with inner mastery: one should restrain kāma (desire) and dveṣa (hatred) and then align one’s conduct with the established ‘path of the good’ (satāṁ vatman), exemplified by renowned royal sages.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a person (contextually, a praised ruler/ideal king) is described through moral qualifications: he controls passion and aversion and follows the exemplary conduct of ancient kings such as Ambarīṣa, Māndhātṛ, Yayāti, and Nahuṣa—setting a standard for dhārmic governance amid the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations.