Shloka 16

धृतराष्ट्र–दुर्योधन संवादः

Vāraṇāvata-vivāsana-nīti: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana’s Policy Dialogue

Devanagari script

ज्ञात्वा द्विजस्य चापत्ये धनुर्वेदान्तगस्य ह । स राज्ञे दर्शयामास मिथुनं सशरं धनु:

Transliteration

jñātvā dvijasya cāpatye dhanurvedāntagasy ha | sa rājñe darśayāmāsa mithunaṃ saśaraṃ dhanuḥ ||

Translation

ویشَمپاین نے کہا— جب اس نے جان لیا کہ یہ دونوں اعلیٰ درجے کی تیراندازی میں ماہر ایک دْوِج (برہمن) کی اولاد ہیں، تو اس نے تیر سمیت کمان کے ساتھ ان دونوں شیرخواروں کو بادشاہ کے سامنے پیش کیا۔ ہتھیار اور سیاہ ہرن کی کھال نے ان کی تربیت، ضبط اور شریف نسب کی علامت دی۔ رحم سے متاثر ہو کر راجا شنتنو نے انہیں اپنی سرپرستی میں لے لیا، اور پھر انہیں “میرے بچے” کہہ کر ہی متعارف کراتا رہا۔

Word by Word

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• द्विजस्य: of a brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपत्ये: in/with regard to the offspring
• अपत्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• धनुर्वेदान्तगस्य: of one who has mastered the science of archery
• धनुर्वेदान्तगस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनुर्वेदान्तग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• ह: indeed/for emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राज्ञे: to the king
• राज्ञे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• दर्शयामास: showed
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) / दर्शय (णिजन्त)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्) periphrastic, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मिथुनम्: the pair (two children)
• मिथुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सशरम्: together with arrows
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śantanu
• dvija (brahmin archer)
• mithuna (twin pair: boy and girl)
• dhanuḥ (bow)
• śara (arrows)
• kṛṣṇājina (black antelope-skin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights a ruler’s dharma of protection: recognizing signs of disciplined upbringing and noble conduct, the king responds with compassion and assumes responsibility for vulnerable children.

What is happening in the narrative?

A man (from the king’s party) identifies two infants as the offspring of a brahmin expert in archery by the presence of a bow, arrows, and black antelope-skin, and then shows them to King Śantanu, who takes them home and has them presented as his own.