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Shloka 1

अध्याय ६ — युधिष्ठिरस्य वैराग्य-वाक्यं धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनगमनाभिलाषश्च

Chapter 6: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Renunciatory Appeal and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Resolve for the Forest

Devanagari script

नफमशा (0) आस सऔ अत न षष्ठो 5 ध्याय: धृतराष्ट्द्वारा राजनीतिका उपदेश धघतयाट्र उवाच मण्डलानि च बुध्येथा: परेषामात्मनस्तथा । उदासीनगणानां च मध्यस्थानां च भारत,धृतराष्ट्रने कहा--भरतनन्दन! तुम्हें शत्रुओंके, अपने, उदासीन राजाओंके तथा मध्यस्थ पुरुषोंके मण्डलोंका ज्ञान रखना चाहिये

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | maṇḍalāni ca budhyethāḥ pareṣām ātmanaḥ tathā | udāsīnagaṇānāṃ ca madhyasthānāṃ ca bhārata ||

Translation

دھرتراشٹر نے کہا— اے بھارت، تم دشمنوں کے سیاسی حلقوں کو، اپنے حلقوں کو، نیز غیر جانب دار بادشاہوں اور ثالث فریقوں کے حلقوں کو بھی خوب اچھی طرح سمجھ لو۔

Word by Word

धृतराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra

उवाचsaid/spoke

मण्डलानिcircles/groups (political spheres)

चand

बुध्येथाःyou should understand/know

परेषाम्of others/enemies

आत्मनःof oneself/one's own

तथाlikewise/also

उदासीनगणानाम्of the neutral parties/groups

चand

मध्यस्थानाम्of the mediators/those standing in between

चand

भारतO Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

धघतयाट्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Bhārata (addressee)

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?

A ruler (or leader) must discern the full alliance-map: enemies, one’s own supporters, neutrals, and mediators. Ethical governance requires informed judgment about relationships and interests before acting.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra begins a counsel on political conduct (rājanīti/rajadharma), instructing the addressed Bhārata to understand the surrounding ‘circles’ of powers—hostile, friendly, neutral, and intermediary—so decisions are made with clarity rather than impulse.