Shloka 12

धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts

Devanagari script

शिष्यवृत्तिं समापन्नान्‌ गुरुवत्‌ प्रत्यपद्यत । धृतराष्ट्र भी उन सबको परम विनीत, अपनी आज्ञाके अनुसार चलनेवाले और शिष्य- भावसे सेवामें संलग्न जानकर पिताकी भाँति उनसे स्नेह रखते थे ।।

Transliteration

śiṣyavṛttiṁ samāpannān guruvat pratyapadyata | dhṛtarāṣṭro 'pi tān sarvān parama-vinītān ājñānuvartinaḥ śiṣya-bhāvena sevāyāṁ saṁlagnān jñātvā pitṛvat snehaṁ cakāra || gāndhārī caiva putrāṇāṁ vividhaiḥ śrāddha-karmabhiḥ (śrāddha-kriyābhiḥ) || yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: viparīta-kṛt me śatrur niyamyaś ca bhaven naraḥ |

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Seeing them devoted in the manner of disciples, he received them as a teacher would. Dhṛtarāṣṭra too, recognizing them all as deeply humble, obedient to his commands, and engaged in service with a disciple’s attitude, cherished them with a father’s affection. Gāndhārī likewise performed various śrāddha rites for her sons. And King Yudhiṣṭhira, ever compassionate and serene, would tell his brothers and ministers: “King Dhṛtarāṣṭra is worthy of honor for me and for you all. Whoever remains under his command is my well-wisher; one who acts contrary is my enemy and will fall under my discipline and punishment.”

Word by Word

• शिष्यवृत्तिम्: the conduct/attitude of a disciple
• शिष्यवृत्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्यवृत्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• समापन्नान्: having assumed/entered into
• समापन्नान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आपन्न (सम्+आपद्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• गुरुवत्: like a teacher
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गुरु + वत्

• प्रत्यपद्यत: he treated/behaved toward (them)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√पद्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Gāndhārī
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• brothers of Yudhiṣṭhira (Pāṇḍavas, implied)
• ministers (mantrins, implied)
• sons of Gāndhārī (Kauravas, implied)
• śrāddha (funerary rites)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Honor and obedience toward elders and rightful authority are treated as dharma: service done with a disciple’s humility earns paternal affection, while deliberate contrariness is framed as enmity and becomes liable to royal discipline (daṇḍa).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the forest-dwelling phase, Dhṛtarāṣṭra receives the Pāṇḍavas with warmth because they serve him obediently; Gāndhārī performs śrāddha rites for her deceased sons; Yudhiṣṭhira instructs his court that loyalty to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s commands is the standard of friendship and order.