Shloka 18

Devanagari script

यः प्रमाणं महाराज धर्मे धर्मभूतां वर: । अजातशशत्रुणा तेन पाण्डवा अभ्ययुञज्जत

Transliteration

yaḥ pramāṇaṃ mahārāja dharme dharmabhūtāṃ varaḥ | ajātaśatrunā tena pāṇḍavā abhyayuñjjata

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—اے مہاراج! جو دھرم میں خود معیار تھے، اور اہلِ دھرم میں سب سے برتر—اسی اجات شترو نے دھرم ہی کو پیمانہ بنا کر پانڈوؤں کو عمل پر آمادہ کیا۔

Word by Word

यःwho

प्रमाणम्authority, standard

महाराजO great king

धर्मेin dharma, in righteousness

धर्मभूताम्having become (embodiment of) dharma

वरःthe best, excellent one

अजातशत्रुणाby (him) who has no born enemies; by Yudhiṣṭhira

तेनby him, by that (one)

पाण्डवाःthe Pāṇḍavas

अभ्ययुञ्जतthey appointed/engaged (him), they employed

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Mahārāja)

Ajātaśatru

Pāṇḍavas

Dharma

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is presented as a pramāṇa—an authoritative standard for decision-making. The verse frames rightful action as that which is guided by the foremost exemplar of righteousness, emphasizing ethical legitimacy over mere power or expediency.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍavas were impelled toward action by a figure described as the foremost among the righteous and a measure of dharma, indicating that their course is being shaped and justified through dharmic counsel and authority.