Shloka 17

द्रुपदवाक्यं

Drupada’s Counsel on Conciliation and Alliance Mobilization

Devanagari script

आषाढो वायुवेगश्न पूर्वपाली च पार्थिव: । भूरितेजा देवकश्न॒ एकलव्य: सहात्मजै:

Transliteration

Āṣāḍho Vāyuvegāś ca Pūrvapālī ca pārthivaḥ | Bhūritejā Devakaś ca Ekalavyaḥ sahātmajaiḥ ||

Translation

ద్రుపదుడు అన్నాడు—“ఆషాఢుడు, వాయువేగుడు, అలాగే రాజు పూర్వపాలీ; భూరితేజుడు, దేవకుడు; ఇంకా ఏకలవ్యుడు తన కుమారులతో కూడ।”

Word by Word

आषाढःĀṣāḍha (proper name)

वायुवेगश्चVāyuvega (lit. 'wind-speed', proper name) and

पूर्वपालीPūrvapālī (proper name)

चand

पार्थिवःthe king / ruler

भूरितेजाःof great splendor

देवकश्चDevaka (proper name) and

एकलव्यःEkalavya (proper name)

सहtogether with

आत्मजैःwith (his) sons

Speaker

दुपद उवाच

Characters & Entities

द

दुपद (Drupada)

आ

आषाढ (Āṣāḍha)

व

वायुवेग (Vāyuvega)

प

पूर्वपाली (Pūrvapālī)

भ

भूरितेजस् (Bhūritejas)

द

देवक (Devaka)

ए

एकलव्य (Ekalavya)

आ

आत्मज (sons/offspring)

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 underscores how political decisions and the pursuit of war draw not only individual rulers but also their families and successors into the consequences of conflict, highlighting the dharmic responsibility of kings to weigh alliances and warfare with foresight.

What is happening in the narrative?

Drupada is enumerating notable kings/warriors aligned in the unfolding political-military mobilization before the Kurukṣetra war, naming figures such as Ekalavya and indicating that some come accompanied by their sons.