Shloka 39

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ९३: कृष्णस्य धृतराष्ट्रोपदेशः

Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel to Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the Assembly

Devanagari script

स्मयमानस्तु राजानं भीष्मद्रोणौ च माधव: । अभ्यभाषत धर्मात्मा राज्ञश्नान्यान्‌ यथावय:,उस समय धर्मात्मा भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णने मुसकराते हुए राजा धृतराष्ट्र, भीष्म, द्रोणाचार्य तथा अवस्थाके अनुसार अन्य राजाओंसे भी वार्तालाप किया

Transliteration

smayamānas tu rājānaṁ bhīṣmadroṇau ca mādhavaḥ | abhyabhāṣata dharmātmā rājñaś cānyān yathāvayaḥ ||

Translation

అప్పుడు ధర్మాత్ముడైన మాధవుడు శ్రీకృష్ణుడు చిరునవ్వుతో రాజు ధృతరాష్ట్రుని, అలాగే భీష్మ ద్రోణులను సంభాషించాడు; వారి వారి స్థానం, వయస్సు మేరకు ఇతర రాజులతోనూ మాటలాడాడు.

Word by Word

स्मयमानःsmiling

तुbut/indeed

राजानम्the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

भीष्मद्रोणौBhīṣma and Droṇa

चand

माधवःMādhava (Kṛṣṇa)

अभ्यभाषतspoke to/addressed

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled

राज्ञःof the king

अन्यान्other

यथाaccording to/as

अवयःage (stage of life)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Mādhava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Bhīṣma

Droṇa

other kings (unnamed)

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?

Even amid looming conflict, dharma expresses itself through self-control, respectful speech, and addressing people according to propriety (age, rank, and role). Kṛṣṇa’s smile and measured conversation model ethical diplomacy rather than agitation or insult.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kṛṣṇa, maintaining a calm and courteous demeanor, speaks with King Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the senior elders Bhīṣma and Droṇa, and then engages other kings in a manner suited to their status—setting the tone for formal counsel in the Kuru court during the Udyoga Parva.