Shloka 25

Droṇa–Vidura–Gāndhārī Counsel in the Royal Assembly (धर्मार्थयुक्ता सभा-उपदेश-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

दारेष्वप्यतिसक्तश्न यक्ष्माणं समपद्यत | यदा त्वराजके राष्ट्र न ववर्ष सुरेश्वर: । तदाभ्यधावन्‌ मामेव प्रजा: क्षुद्धयपीडिता:

Transliteration

dāreṣv apy atisaktaś ca yakṣmāṇaṃ samapadyata | yadā tv arājake rāṣṭre na vavarṣa sureśvaraḥ | tadābhyadhāvan mām eva prajāḥ kṣudhayāpīḍitāḥ |

Translation

భార్యలయందు అతిగా ఆసక్తి కలిగినవాడై అతడు రాజయక్ష్మా వ్యాధిని పొందెను; దానిచేత బాధపడుతూ ప్రాణములు విడిచెను. ఆపై రాజులేని రాజ్యములో సురేశ్వరుడు ఇంద్రుడు వర్షమును ఆపెను; అప్పుడు క్షుధతో పీడితమైన సమస్త ప్రజలు శరణార్థమై నన్నే ఆశ్రయించి పరుగెత్తి వచ్చిరి.

Word by Word

• दारेषु: in (their) wives
• दारेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अतिसक्ताः: overly attached
• अतिसक्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिसक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यक्ष्माणम्: consumption/tuberculosis (yakṣmā)
• यक्ष्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समपद्यत: they fell into/contracted
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पद्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Plural

• यदा: when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अराजके: in kingless (condition)
• अराजके: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अराजक
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• राष्ट्रे: in the kingdom/state
• राष्ट्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ववर्ष: rained
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• सुरेश्वरः: lord of the gods (Indra)
• सुरेश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• अभ्यधावन्: ran up to/approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + धाव्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Plural

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• एव: only/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• प्रजाः: the subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• क्षुधया: by hunger
• क्षुधया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुध्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• पीडिताः: afflicted/tormented
• पीडिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीडित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Indra (Sureśvara)
• prajāḥ (the subjects/people)
• rāṣṭra (the kingdom)
• rājayakṣmā (consumption/disease)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links personal and political disorder to collective suffering: uncontrolled attachment leads to bodily ruin, and a kingless realm loses stability so severely that even nature’s support (rain) is withdrawn; in crisis, people seek a sustaining power for protection.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu recounts a time when people, weakened by disease arising from excessive sensual attachment, died; afterward, in a rulerless kingdom, Indra stopped the rains, causing famine, and the starving populace rushed to Vāyu for help.