Shloka 53

Devanagari script

धर्म्य देशय पन्थानं समर्थों ह्सि वारणे । क्षुद्रे जातिवरध॑ प्राहुर्मा कुरुष्व ममाप्रियम्‌,“राजन! तुम अपने जाति-भाई, कौरवों, सगे-सम्बन्धियों तथा हितैषी-सुहृदोंको धर्मानुकूल मार्गका उपदेश करो; क्योंकि तुम उन सबको रोकनेमें समर्थ हो। जाति-वधको अत्यन्त नीच कर्म बताया गया है। वह मुझे अत्यन्त अप्रिय है। तुम यह अप्रिय कार्य न करो

Transliteration

dharmaṃ deśaya panthānaṃ samartho 'si vāraṇe | kṣudre jātivadhāḥ prāhur mā kuruṣva mamāpriyam ||

Translation

“انہیں دھرم کے راستے کی تعلیم دو؛ تم انہیں روکنے کی قدرت رکھتے ہو۔ اپنے ہی کنبے کا قتل نہایت پست فعل کہا گیا ہے؛ یہ مجھے سخت ناپسند ہے۔ میری ناپسندیدہ یہ حرکت نہ کرو۔”

Word by Word

धर्म्यम्righteous, in accordance with dharma

देशयinstruct/teach (you should instruct)

पन्थानम्path, course (of conduct)

समर्थःcapable, able

असिyou are

वारणेin restraining/stopping

क्षुद्रेin a base/mean (act)

जाति-वधेin the killing of one’s own kin/clan

प्राहुःthey have said/call

माdo not (prohibitive)

कुरुष्वdo (for yourself); perform

ममof me; to me (my)

अप्रियम्unpleasant, disagreeable (thing)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Kauravas (implied by context of kin-slaying)

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?

One who has influence must actively guide others toward dharma and prevent wrongdoing; violence against one’s own kin is portrayed as especially blameworthy and should be avoided.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the war-context of Bhīṣma-parvan, a speaker urges a powerful figure to counsel and restrain his own side, warning that clan-killing is a disgraceful act and personally intolerable.