Shloka 19

धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas

Devanagari script

एवमेतन्महाराज राजा सम्यक्‌ समाचरन्‌ | प्रेत्य स्वर्गमवाप्नोति प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन्‌

Transliteration

evam etan mahārāja rājā samyak samācaran | pretya svargam avāpnoti prajā dharmeṇa pālayan ||

Translation

یوں ہی ہے، اے مہاراج۔ جو حکمراں ان باتوں پر غور کرکے درست طریقے سے برتاؤ کرے اور دھرم کے مطابق رعایا کی نگہبانی کرے، وہ مرنے کے بعد سُورگ کو پاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• एतत्: this (matter)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• महा-राज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• सम्यक्: properly, rightly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• समाचरन्: acting/practising (properly)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर्
• Form: present active participle (parasmaipada), masculine, nominative, singular

• प्रेत्य: having departed (after death)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इ
• Form: absolutive (ktvā/lyap)

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• अवाप्नोति: attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप्
• Form: present indicative (lat), third, singular, parasmaipada

• प्रजाः: subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: feminine, accusative, plural

• धर्मेण: by/with righteousness, according to dharma
• धर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• पालयन्: protecting/ruling (the subjects)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल्
• Form: present active participle (parasmaipada), masculine, nominative, singular

• महा-राज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Mahārāja (addressed king)
• Svarga (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that a king’s spiritual outcome is tied to ethical governance: right personal conduct and the protection of subjects according to dharma lead to merit and heavenly attainment after death.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra affirms a principle of rājadharma being discussed: that a ruler who thoughtfully follows proper conduct and upholds dharma in caring for the people gains a favorable posthumous destiny (Svarga).