Shloka 52

अर्जुन-माहात्म्य-चिन्ता

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Arjuna’s Strategic Supremacy

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि यानसंधिपर्वणि धृतराष्ट्रवाक्ये द्विपज्चाशत्तमो5ध्याय:

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi yānasaṃdhiparvaṇi dhṛtarāṣṭravākye dvipañcāśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

इति श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि यानसन्धिपर्वणि धृतराष्ट्रवाक्ये द्विपञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः।

Word by Word

इतिthus; so

श्रीauspiciousness; venerable (honorific)

महाभारतेin the Mahābhārata

उद्योगपर्वणिin the Udyoga-parvan

यानसंधिपर्वणिin the Yāna-sandhi-parvan (section on mission and negotiation)

धृतराष्ट्रवाक्येin (the portion titled) ‘Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s speech’

द्विपञ्चाशत्तमःfifty-second

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Mahābhārata

Udyoga Parva

Yāna–Sandhi Parva

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

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?

As a colophon, the verse does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the ethical setting: the story is placed within efforts toward yāna (mission) and sandhi (settlement), highlighting that war is preceded by opportunities for negotiation and responsible counsel—an implicit reminder of dharma in statecraft.

What is happening in the narrative?

This line formally closes the chapter, identifying the larger book (Udyoga Parva), the relevant sub-section (Yāna–Sandhi Parva), and the speaker-context (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s words). It signals a transition point in the diplomacy-centered portion of the epic.