Mahabharata 7.4.13 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 4, Shloka 13

अध्याय ४ — भीष्मेन कर्णोत्साहनम्

Bhīṣma’s Encouragement of Karṇa

Devanagari script

“दुर्योधनकी तरह तुम भी मेरे पौत्रके समान हो। धर्मतः जैसे मैं उसका हितैषी हूँ, उसी प्रकार तुम्हारा भी हूँ ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

duryodhanakī taraha tuma bhī mere pautrake samāna ho | dharmataḥ yathā ahaṃ tasya hitaiṣī asmi, usī prakāra tumhārā bhī asmi ||

yaunāt sambandhakāl loke viśiṣṭa-saṅgataṃ satām |

sadbhiḥ saha naraśreṣṭha pravādanti manīṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

ดังทุรโยธนะ ท่านก็เป็นดุจหลานของข้า ด้วยธรรมบัญญัติ ข้าย่อมเป็นผู้ปรารถนาดีต่อท่านเช่นเดียวกับต่อเขา โอ้ยอดแห่งบุรุษ! ในโลกนี้ สายสัมพันธ์ที่เกิดจากการคบหาสมาคมกับสัตบุรุษย่อมประเสริฐยิ่งกว่าสัมพันธ์ทางกายหรือทางเครือญาติ—ดังที่บัณฑิตผู้รู้กล่าวไว้

Word by Word

• यौनात्: from kinship/lineage (birth-relationship)
• यौनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• सम्बन्धात्: from (mere) relationship/connection
• सम्बन्धात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• विशिष्टा: superior, distinguished
• विशिष्टा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सङ्गतिः: association, companionship
• सङ्गतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous (people)
• सताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सद्भिः: with/by the good (people)
• सद्भिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• नरश्रेष्ठ: O best of men
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रवदन्ति: they say, declare
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वद् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• मनीषिणः: the wise (sages)
• मनीषिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral kinship is not limited to birth-relations: the wise esteem association with the virtuous (satsaṅga) as a higher and more formative bond than merely biological or family connection, and dharma requires goodwill toward those connected through such ethical ties.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Drona Parva setting, Sanjaya frames his counsel by affirming impartial goodwill: he regards the addressed person as a grandson like Duryodhana and, appealing to dharma, emphasizes that true closeness is grounded in virtuous association rather than only bloodline.