Shloka 17

Drupada’s Alarm and Inquiry Regarding Śikhaṇḍinī (द्रुपदस्य भय-विमर्शः)

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तश्न तेनासौ ब्राह्मणो राजसत्तम | दूत: प्रयातो नगरं दाशार्णनृूपचोदित:,नृपश्रेष्ठट दशार्णागजजका यह संदेश पाकर और उन्हींकी प्रेरणासे दूत बनकर वे ब्राह्मणदेवता काम्पिल्य नगरमें आये

Transliteration

evam uktaḥ tena asau brāhmaṇo rājasattama | dūtaḥ prayāto nagaraṃ dāśārṇanṛpa-coditaḥ ||

Translation

एवमुक्तस्तु तेनासौ ब्राह्मणो राजसत्तमः। दूतः प्रयातो नगरं दाशार्णनृपचोदितः॥

Word by Word

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

चand

तेनby him

असौthat (person), he

ब्राह्मणःthe Brahmin

राजसत्तमO best of kings

दूतःas a messenger / the messenger

प्रयातःwent forth / departed

नगरम्to the city

दाशार्णनृपचोदितःimpelled by the king of the Daśārṇas

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

brāhmaṇa (unnamed envoy)

Daśārṇa king (dāśārṇanṛpa)

nagara (city)

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?

The verse highlights duty in social and political order: a messenger acts as the responsible instrument of a ruler’s intention, and a brāhmaṇa, when formally commissioned, may undertake diplomatic action as part of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being instructed, an unnamed brāhmaṇa is appointed/urged by the king of Daśārṇa and departs as an envoy, traveling onward to a city to deliver the message.