Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

एवं त्वया कुरुश्रेष्ठ वर्तितव्यं प्रजाहितम्‌ । उभयोर्लोकयोस्तात प्राप्तये नित्यमेव हि

Transliteration

evaṁ tvayā kuruśreṣṭha vartitavyaṁ prajāhitam | ubhayor lokayos tāta prāptaye nityam eva hi ||

Translation

اے کوروؤں میں برتر، تمہیں رعایا کے بھلے کے لیے اسی طرح برتاؤ کرنا چاہیے۔ کیونکہ، اے بیٹے، رعایا کی خیر میں ہمیشہ لگے رہنے سے ہی اس دنیا اور اُس دنیا—دونوں میں بھلائی حاصل ہوتی ہے۔

Word by Word

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

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• कुरुश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Kurus
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• वर्तितव्यम्: should be conducted / must be done
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: तव्यत् (gerundive), neuter, nominative, singular, passive-necessitative

• प्रजाहितम्: beneficial to the subjects
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रजा-हित
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• उभयोः: of both
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, dual

• लोकयोः: of the two worlds
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: masculine, genitive, dual

• तात: O dear one / O son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• प्राप्तये: for the attainment
• प्राप्तये: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राप्ति
• Form: feminine, dative, singular

• नित्यम्: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• एव: indeed, certainly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• हि: for, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• तात: O dear one
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kuruśreṣṭha (addressed person, ‘best of the Kurus’)
• prajā (the subjects/people)
• ubhau lokau (this world and the next)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler or leader should remain steadily engaged in actions that benefit the people; such public-spirited conduct is presented as the means to secure good in both this life and the next.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a Kuru leader with counsel, urging sustained commitment to the welfare of the subjects as the proper standard of conduct and as a path to auspicious results in both worlds.